


Twisted reality

by MansiJain



Series: Twisted [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, POV Draco Malfoy, POV Harry Potter, Primary pairing is Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, rent boy Scorpius
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-02-04 19:33:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12777963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MansiJain/pseuds/MansiJain
Summary: Scorpius works as a male prostitute to earn bread and butter for his father, Draco and himself. Harry lives as a recluse and is disliked by his own children and isn't in touch with anyone else. Then one day, he hires Scorpius and catches Draco's attention and the twisted threads of their past start unraveling and bring their forgotten relationship to light. Dark Harry.





	1. Dirty

**Author's Note:**

> All rights belong to Rowling and the relevant corporations. I make no money from the publication of this "work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. All the characters belong to JK Rowling and her associates

_**Chapter-1** _

_**Dirty** _

Harry reduces the speed of his car after he enters the Red street and checks out the male hustlers who are leant against the dirty walls of the abandoned houses or poles, dressed in provocative clothes. 

After the war, he decided to leave wizarding Britain all-together reason being that magic had given him nothing but enemies and pain. The work that he does- painting doesn't require magic and he is used to doing most of his work manually.

Harry gazes out of the window, weighing his options, trying to chose someone for the night when his eyes fall on a young boy who looks like an exact replica of a seventeen year old Draco Malfoy. 

The boy is leant against the wall, his one hand in his pocket and other around his cigarette, his eyes distant. His jeans are riding low on his hips and he has worn a tight white shirt and a black jacket to go with it. Harry knows who this boy is. He is Scorpius Malfoy, Albus seems to have a huge crush on. Albus told him that Scorpius came to school to give his exams only. He doesn't attend any classes and doesn't stay at Hogwarts. Harry eyes him and licks his lips. Scorpius is practically sex on legs. 

Albus doesn't know that Scorpius is working as a male prostitute. Harry wonders why Malfoy, the biggest snob on this planet is letting his only son do this kind of work. Even if their manor was seized and sold out to provide for the reparations, their vaults weren't even touched and Malfoy always had an uncanny talent in potion-making. 

Malfoy lost everything he had due to his own mistakes. It annoys Harry and he despises Malfoy. It doesn't matter that Scorpius is Malfoy’s son. The boy is a prostitute and just a body to satiate himself.

Harry's eyes rove all over his lean frame. He has a nice body. A few seconds later, Scorpius's eyes fall on Harry's car. He looks startled for a moment but then the moment passes and he heads towards Harry's car after throwing his cigarette away.

Harry opens the window and looks at him. His eyes are as silver as Malfoy's were. Harry would know, what with his unhealthy obsession with the snob. The boy smiles sensually at Harry. However the smile doesn't reach his eyes. Harry wonders if this boy likes Albus as well. Then he shrugs because it doesn't matter.

Albus will never know anyways. Harry won't tell him, nor will Scorpius if he wants to befriend Albus in this lifetime atleast.

"One night." Harry says and Scorpius swallows, his adams apple bobbing. Harry's eyes follow the moment. The boy is nervous and his nervousness is delicious, tempting. Harry wants to press him against his body and kiss him into oblivion.

Harry is almost sure that he will chicken out, almost... because if Malfoy's son is selling his body for money, then it means that he is broke and he can't afford to loose a rich client like Harry.

Scorpius nods and Harry unlocks the door, his eyes on Scorpius's red lips. The fact that Harry can see that the boy doesn't want to do it doesn't matter. He can see that money is the only reason Scorpius is doing this.

But it doesn't matter to Harry. It never has. What matters is that Scorpius is really really beautiful and that Harry wants him.

"You are beautiful." Harry murmurs after Scorpius sits inside.

"Thanks." He whispers and leans against the seat. He spreads his legs and stretches them. Harry looks at his bulge from the corner of his eyes and licks his lips.

"Are you clean?" He asks and Scorpius's expressive eyes become dull and ashamed. Malfoy's eyes had never been so expressive.

Scorpius doesn't answer and Harry sighs in annoyance. He places his palm on Scorpius's knee and the boy freezes and when Harry reaches to touch his bulge, Scorpius flinches. Harry pulls his hand back and stops his car in a dark, empty alley.

Scorpius tries to seem unconcerned but his eyes give him away. He us terrified. Harry turns towards him and murmurs, "Leave if you don't want this. I won't force myself on you and if I am paying, I want my money's worth."

Scorpius stares at him, his mouth open in surprise and Harry leans forward and opens Scorpius's door before muttering, "Leave."

A few seconds pass and Scorpius closes the door again and spreads his legs almost obscenely.

"You just took me by surprise. I have been doing this for a long time, Mr. Potter-"

"Harry, call me Harry." Harry cuts in and looks at Scorpius. Silver eyes are gazing at him. Scorpius is tense.

"Umm. Yes, Harry... so I was saying that you just took me by surprise. It's not that you are forcing me or anything." He says and the fact that Scorpius didn't say that he wants it doesn't escape Harry's attention.

Harry gazes silently into Scorpius's eyes for a moment. Harry is feeling a burning desire to hear Scorpius say that he wants it. The fact that Scorpius doesn't wish to say it only fuels his desire.

"Say you want it. I want you to be very clear about it." Harry whispers softly his eyes in Scorpius's silver ones.

Scorpius breathes heavily before murmuring, "I want it, Mr-"

"Harry."

"Yes. I want it Harry." The boy murmurs and Harry smirks, a cruel sense of satisfaction overcoming him as he looks at the boy.

That Scorpius's eyes are dull doesn't matter because after all Harry is not forcing the boy.

"You are beautiful." Harry whispers again and Scorpius replies, "Thanks." a small reluctant smile on his face.

Harry places his hands on his face and caresses his cheeks, his eyes on the boy's red lips. They are full and delicious and Harry leans forward to taste them. Scorpius's eyes are open and gazing into his and just when Harry is about to press their lips, the blond turns his face away and Harry's lips land on his cheeks.

"No kissing on lips." The boy mutters and Harry breathes heavily on the boy's cheeks, his eyes flashing with fury.

"I will pay you twice." Harry mutters and Scorpius shakes his head, "Three times. I'll pay you three times if you let me do what I wish for the night. You are beautiful and I want you to be mine for the night."

"I am- I am hungry. Can we get something to eat first... didn't eat anything after breakfast." The boy whispers and swallows deeply.

Harry nips the soft skin of his cheeks before pulling away and sighing in annoyance.

After leaning back on his seat, he mutters, "Take your jacket off and try to relax. I will get you something to eat. I am asking you again. If you don't want this, walk out. I won't have you accusing me of assaulting you later on. I am paying you for a night and a night is all I desire from you. Walk out if you don't-"

"I do want it. I do. I am just hungry." Scorpius says and stares ahead, his face blank. There... there is the patented Malfoy mask and Harry finds himself itching to remove it.

"Will you take off your jacket or should I do it. I think I will get carried away and just vanish your clothes all together. I can turn the heater on for you if you are cold." Harry whispers and Scorpius leans forward a bit before taking his jacket off and shoving it on the backseat. 

"Come here." Harry says and places his hand on Scorpius's neck. This time when their lips meet, Scorpius doesn't flinch or turn away. His eyes are wide open and are gazing at Harry. Red lips part and grant him entrance inside the warm mouth. Harry tangles their tongues together and imagines fucking Scorpius's warm mouth.

His hand strays towards Scorpius's bulge as if it has a mind of its own and he squeezes it. Scorpius closes his eyes as he deepens the kiss, his hand trembling on Harry's shoulder and Harry pulls back, not wanting to get carried away until they are home.

"Food. Let's get you some food first." Harry whispers and licks his lips and ignores the way Scorpius's eyes turn even more dull. He doesn't care as long as Scorpius has given his express consent and it's not like Harry is hurting him. Harry is not into that kind of thing.

"How old are you?" Harry asks.

Scorpius whispers, "Seventeen." 

 _Yes, he is Albus's age_. Harry shrugs carelessly and looks ahead before starting the car.

XXXX

 


	2. A broken soul

_**Chapter-2** _

_**A Broken Soul** _

"You can buy something or have a proper meal at my place. What do you prefer?" Harry asks, his eyes straight ahead. Unlike many others Harry has slept with, Scorpius is wearing no makeup. His confidence is tempting and he looks really really good.

"Do you have eggs at your place?" Scorpius asks blankly.

"Yes." Harry replies, continuing after a pause, "When was the last time you ate?"

The boy seems overly thin.

"Does it matter? Take what you are paying me for and get it done with." Says the boy blankly. Harry looks at him for a second and then stops the car in the corner of the street. He doesn't like defiance. How dare he use this tone with him.

Harry looks at him and for a moment gets lost in his silver eyes. They remind him of something, of a strange hole inside his heart that he didn't know even existed till now. They remind him of Draco Malfoy.

"I am not used to -" Harry is surprised by his hesitation. His eyes have lost the blankness. They are open and so so scared that Harry stares. He didn't do anything to scare him off. He stays silent. He wants to talk to him and he doesn't know why because he avoids talking when he hires male hustlers.

"People aren't nice until they know that are going to hurt me really badly. You are Harry Potter. I have heard rumors. My father has no one except me." It's so strange to hear these words coming out of his mouth.

Completely unlike Malfoy, this boy has no arrogance or even confidence or money.

" No one has ever kissed me. It was - it was- I had not expected you to be like this. There are rumors about you. I panicked. I am sorry."

He is doing strange things to Harry. He is arising emotions that Harry doesn't remember feeling.

"I am an orphan. My relatives hated me and my godfather secretly wanted me." Harry stares at Scorpius in shock. Where did this come from? Harry has never revealed this secret in front of anyone.

"I -" Scorpius stares speechlessly at Harry.

"Sirius Black - but - everyone says that and uncle Severus - I-"

"Enough. You are not here to talk to me. Hold my hand." Harry commands and Scorpius does.

He concentrates on his bedroom and in just a heartbeat, he has apparated on his bed. He takes his hands back from Scorpius who is looking around his room with unblinking eyes. He will go and retrieve the car later on.

"Take your clothes off." He commands and unbuttons his own jeans. He just pushes it down along with his underwear to reveal his hard member and lays down the bed.

After a few seconds, Scorpius moves and takes his clothes off, his hands trembling a little bit. Harry looks into Scorpius's eyes. They are blank once again. They don't have an ounce of regret or pain or fear or even humiliation in them.

Harry's eyes travel slowly over Scorpius's lean frame. Except for a few black marks here and there, his body is flawless and beautiful.

His scars don't move Harry, nor do his trembling hands. He looks at his blank face and speaks in a low and soft voice, soft but dangerous, "Back off if you wish. Go away. I am a dangerous man."

The boy doesn't as much as blink an eye. He does nothing except shaking his head a bit.

"Ride me." Harry mutters and looks into Scorpius's eyes. The boy seems surprised and Harry thinks that maybe he will back off now.

He gives a few moments to Scorpius to back off but again the boy doesn't. His straddles Harry carefully. Scorpius's dick is still soft and his eyes are emotionless.

"I am not a good man. You should leave." Harry says, not knowing where all these words are coming from and Scorpius nods before lifting his hips up and settling on his hardness, his hands on either sides of Harry's shoulders.

Harry has this strange desire to grab his hips and shove him down. He knows that it is utterly degrading for Scorpius and that it's bound to hurt him but this is exactly what he wants.

But he doesn't move his hands. He wants Scorpius to do it. The boy does. With eyes clenched tightly, he presses Harry inside his entrance.

"So tight." Harry moans as tears leak down Scorpius's eyes. Scorpius starts thrusting slowly, pushing deeper with every thrust.

When he knows that he is on the brink, he places his hands on Scorpius's hips and pushes him down before moaning loudly and releasing himself inside the boy.

When he opens his eyes, he realizes that Scorpius's eyes are damp. His face is close to Harry's. Harry grimaces and takes Scorpius out before dropping him unceremoniously on his bed. His eyes are doing strange things to Harry. He shouldn't look into them. The boy moans in pain. Something clenches inside Harry but he decides to ignore it. He throws money on Scorpius's bare chest before getting up, "Take a shower. Cast cleaning charms. Help yourself in my kitchen. Do whatever you wish. I am going to take a shower. You can use it after I'm done. I am paying you for the night so you may sleep here."

The boy doesn't reply and Harry doesn't wait for an answer. He simply walks inside his bathroom.

XXXX

A sudden and sharp slap in his backside wakes him up, not that he was having a very sound sleep. Most of the nights he is awake. He is mostly used to it. That Mr. Potter is using him disgusts him. But it's not just Mr. Potter he is disgusted with. He is disgusted with himself.

"Ahhh." He moans softly.

Mr. Potter is a very handsome man with well defined abs and mesmerizing green eyes. But, to Scorpius, his eyes seem dead.

To most of the people, Harry Potter might seem a cruel man but it took only an hour for Scorpius to understand that something is very wrong with this man.

He doesn't know why but he wants to understand Mr. Potter. Maybe that's why he stayed the night.

"How does it feel?" The man asks. Scorpius turns around to look at him. The green eyed man is laid on his side and is looking silently at him. Scorpius wonders why he is awake.

"Come here." He says, "I want to spoon you."

Surprised, Scorpius nods and turns around. A minute later, Mr. Potter spoons him. He is gentle and Scorpius is confused.

"Do I disgust you?" Mr. Potter speaks in a low voice, his lips on the junction of Scorpius's shoulders and neck.

"Yes." Scorpius lies.

The laugh that escapes Mr. Potter's mouth is amused.

"I am going to make you like this, you know?" He drawls. Scorpius wonders why Mr. Potter wants him to like what they do.

Scorpius stays silent, trying to understand what this man wants in the middle of the night.

Scorpius is feeling sore. Mr. Potter didn't prepare him earlier but he is accustomed to it. What happened next though was an utter surprise for him.

Mr. Potter turns him around and lays him on his back Their eyes meet. Scorpius can't read his eyes. However he can see that this man is a lone soul.

Mr. Potter is taller and heavier than Scorpius. For the first time in his life Scorpius is not disgusted. He doesn't understand why but he doesn't want to take money from Mr. Potter.

He wants to hate this man. He wants to feel disgusted but he can't bring himself to. It doesn't seem that this man is using him. It seems more like this man is hanging onto him, like he is apologizing for earlier.

His lips meet Scorpius's softly and suddenly, a very soft melody starts playing in the room. The music is melancholic. Scorpius is in the night suit he borrowed from Mr. Potter.

Hands stroke his cheeks and hair as lips continue kiss him softly.

By the time, Mr. Potter pulls back, Scorpius's eyes are damp.

Scorpius had heard several rumors about this man. However most of them seem false now. He is not a monster. He is a haunted man. Green eyes remain blank as Mr. Potter pulls back and lays back down. The music continues playing.

Soon Scorpius falls asleep, counting the times Mr. Potter's chest rises and falls silently. This is the strangest night of his life.

XXXX


	3. Wasted

**Chapter-3**

Wasted

Harsh sunlight streams through the windows and Scorpius wakes up. It takes him a few moments to remember everything that happened last night. This morning is no less difficult than others. The fact that Mr. Potter is Albus's father makes everything even more difficult to digest. This is one of those mornings when he doesn't want to face the world. he wants to burrow inside his blanket and suffocate himself to death.

"I have things to do. Wake up." Says Mr. Potter curtly. Scorpius sits up before looking at the man. Leant against the window, he stares at Scorpius.

His eyes are blank. In fact they are so carefully blank that Scorpius wonders what this man is thinking.

All Scorpius can feel is shame. He wants to clean himself thoroughly. He swallows, unable to to bear it anymore.

This is not new. He always feels degraded after - well after.

"I'll be on my way." He murmurs softly.

"You didn't eat last night." Mr. Potter answers, his arms crossed on his chest and his eyes guarded.

"Usually, I eat once a day. I had lunch yesterday. I eat a piece of fruit if I am hungry. I wasn't hungry yesterday." Having said this, Scorpius gets out of the bed.

"You told me yesterday in the car that you were hungry. Were you lying?"

Scorpius looks at the man, "What is your problem? Whatever feud you had with my father in the past, please remember that I am not Draco Malfoy. I have a lot of problems without your adding to them. I don't have money to afford three meals a day. I don't eat much. Just back off."

They stare each other. Green eyes flash furiously before turning towards the cloudless sky. Scorpius leaves the house with a heavy heart and a strong desire to end his life. If he were alone, he would six feet under by now. As it is, he has father to think of who must be awake and hungry by now. Scorpius has no time to waste. He has to submit the assignments to the professors too. Seventh year curriculum is difficult. He doesn't think he will be able to clear without classes. But he can't afford to attend Hogwarts. he must make do with this somehow.

XXXX

Draco wakes up and rubs his eyes. He gets out of the sofa he had fallen upon last night and heads towards the kitchen, stumbling a bit on the way. He has a massive hangover. His head is literally pounding.

"Ahhh." He groans. Staggering on his feet, he opens the door and enters inside the kitchen in search of something to eat. He is starving.

But there is nothing to eat. The fridge is empty. In fact, it seems that Scorpius didn't make dinner last night. Usually Draco eats outside so Scorpius prepares something for himself although Draco is not sure if Scorpius eats daily. He is always quite drunk when he comes back.

But today the kitchen seems completely untouched.

"Scorpius" He calls, turning around. Not having much money, Draco had rented a small house. Nobody would give him a job The house has only two bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a small dining room and a tiny kitchen.

He sits on a chair in their dining room and calls again, "Scorpius".

"SCORPIUS." He shouts furiously. Where the hell is this boy?

"Yes." Comes a curt whisper Draco shoots up before whirling around.

Scorpius is standing on their entryway with red-rimmed eyes. His shirt is buttoned wrongly. He walks inside and closes the door.

"Where have you been?" Draco asks for the first time in months, sober enough to be concerned as to where his son was.

Eyes that resemble his look at him with so much pain that it shakes Draco for a moment.

"How does it matter? I have the money. That's what you wanted wasn't it?" The boy sneers at him and walks forward after taking out some notes in his hand.

By this time, Scorpius is generally in his room, studying or doing some assignment and then Draco leaves to wander on streets and clubs. Sometimes, he visits orphanages. Sometimes he hooks up with strangers when he is feeling really alone.

Scorpius places a few notes on Draco's hands and mutters, "Give me five minutes. I will be back and will make something for us."

Draco grabs Scorpius's hands and looks into his eyes before asking, "Where were you? What happened?"

"Why... didn't you know... I was off whoring myself to your ex-nemesis." Scorpius sneers mockingly at him.

He freezes. The terror that grips him is sudden and so overpowering that he staggers from the impact.

 _Is that how he is earning money?_  He wonders.  _Surely not._

"Scorpius-" Draco starts and Scorpius cuts him off, "And do you know how twisted it is to sell myself to the father of the only boy I have ever been interested in. it doesn't matter that I have never spoken to him."

"You are kidding aren't you?" Draco mutters, almost sure that Scorpius is making a fool of him.

"Atleast grandfather didn't leave you off on the streets while going off merlin knows where-"

"No, he just got himself imprisoned while I had to get marked and complete a task that was impossible and then when I very obviously failed, I had to get tortured for both your grandfathers and my failure. I can still not count the times I was cruioed that day." Draco yells at his son who is glaring at him with a heaving chest.

"I don't want to talk to you. I am tired and hungry. Just leave me alone and I will cook something for us in five minutes. Give me five minutes to attempt to remove this filth from my very being." Scorpius says and heads towards his room.

"We have to talk about this. You can't do this-" Draco tries because he needs to stop his son. He was a disappointment as a son. Now he is a bad father as well.

"Oh and how do you aim to pay off the bills and feed us and not to forget, pay the rent of this place."

As an icing on top, someone knocks on the door and Draco opens it to greet their landlord.

"I have come to take the rent. It was due day before yesterday. Either pay or vacate the premises." The man mutters in a harsh voice.

Draco wants to snap at him but before he can do that, Scorpius walks towards them with some notes and keep them on the landlord's hand.

"Here. I am sorry for making it late. It is for this month and advance for the next." His son speaks in a low voice.

The landlord leaves and Scorpius heads towards his room.

"Since when have you been doing this?" Draco whispers in a soft, desperate voice.

"For several years, though yesterday night was the first time I slept with Mr. Potter." Scorpius replies, his voice defeated, his posture defeated. His body screams that he is worn out.

"You have to stop this. I-"

"You are not getting a job anytime soon. We have got to pay the bills somehow." The boy cuts Draco off and starts walking.

"Take your time. I will prepare something for us. I will bring it to your room."

He gets no reply to this and starts heating some pasta and soup. Draco is trying to contain his simmering rage until he has fed Scorpius and given some sleeping and healing potions to him.

It doesn't matter it was the first time Scorpius SOLD himself to Potter. Potter shouldn't have done it and Draco will make him pay. He will murder Potter today. He has always hated the man and right now he despises him so much that the fury is impossible to contain.

But it has to wait until Scorpius has slept.

He breathes a few times and pastes a false smile on his face trying not to think about his own mistake in regards to neglecting his own son. What should he do now?

XXXX


	4. Dark

**Chapter-4**

**Dark**

Someone rings the door bell and Harry looks up from the book he is reading. He had brought a few books from the library of the Riddle Manor in an attempt to know more about Riddle's theories behind creating Horcruxes and gaining immortality. He had wanted to find some kind of journal written by the man but he found none.

Riddle has marked several places and improved the spells and recipes as well which is surprising considering the fact that the authors are quite renowned. He wonders why the man made seven. According to Dumbledore seven is a very powerful number which was the only reason. Harry doubts this theory though. He is regretting making two. There are so many holes in his memories. The only emotions he feels are hatred or rage. From what he has read so far, there is no way of merging the horcruxes. The most logical solution is to feel some remorse for the murders he committed which is impossible considering the fact that he killed Peter and Bellatrix to create them.

The bell rings again. Harry frowns and gets up. He has nothing except pajamas on him.

He opens the door and his lips widen in a smirk when his eyes fall upon a furious Draco Malfoy. On the face of it he seems only furious but on looking carefully, Harry is able to read other emotions swirling in the blonde's silver eyes. Rage is mixed with pain and disbelief. Scorpius must have told everything to him. But he can sense something else too, something he can't define. Over the past few years, he became a quite good judge of character. He had to, considering the manipulation he suffered at the hands of Dumbledore. Although one could say that the man had compelled him to create just one horcrux. He knows that there are certain other aspects too behind his act of creating them but he doesn't remember them.

That's what he is trying to do. He must remember. More than one and a half decade has passed and now he feels a need to know what had happened. Why is it that Ron and Hermione don't come forward and talk to him by themselves. How much of a hand did Snape have behind Dumbledore's decision and why did Harry not tell Snape about Sirius's inappropriate infatuation with his younger self because he resembled James Potter and if Harry did tell, then why are they together. Harry doesn't remember telling Snape about it.

"Potter." Malfoy suddenly growls and Harry blinks, realizing that he was staring at the man.

"Hello, Malfoy. Long time no see." Harry whispers and maps his frame. Malfoy is no longer the pointy blond annoyance he had known. He is a man now and a handsome one at that. His hands are balled into fists and his eyes are spitting fire. His lips are pinched tightly.

"You bastard. You- you swine. How dare you violate my son-"

Harry bursts into peals of laughter and gasps, "I didn't  _violate_  him. I bought his services. How does it feel Malfoy to be the poorer one. You spent your youth mocking the Weasleys."

Malfoy stares at him and Harry continues, his voice mocking and his eyes sneering, "He is beautiful, you know. I had a good time. I am going to  _buy his services_  again tonight."

"Don't you dare Potter. Stay away from my son." Malfoy speaks in a low, dangerous voice and Harry chuckles.

"It will be someone else if it's not me. I am going to bring him home today and I am going to try something new. He will agree because he needs money and you are as useless as you were in school. You can do nothing except lick your father's and Voldemort's boots. Now that your father is not catering to your whims and fancies, you are using your own son. How far the mighty have fallen." Harry mocks him, his lips upturned in a smirk and Malfoy attempts to hit him. Before his hand has even reached Harry, Harry pulls him inside and presses him against the wall. If one could die of murderous looks, Harry would be six feet under by now.

"I am going to enjoy him tonight and I might even polyjuice him into you. 'Might' I say because I really, really-" Harry licks Malfoy's lips and the tips of their noses touch each other. Malfoy struggles but Harry continues, "- hate you."

Malfoy tries to shove him off but Harry pins his arms on either side of his shoulder before biting his lower lip hard.

Malfoy stares at him in shock and Harry looks into silver eyes before murmuring, "Stay out of my way, Malfoy. I am not a good man and I am certainly not someone you should mess with."

"And you can't stop me." He continues almost gently.

It seems that Malfoy has fallen in a trance. Harry pulls back and shoves the blonde. Wide-eyed and taken aback, Malfoy hisses, "Ouffff." and falls down. Harry settles on his haunches beside his face.

"And you-" Harry mutters and cups his chin with his left hand and slaps him lightly with his right one before continuing, "- you will be a good boy and keep away."

"You sick bastard." Malfoy hisses indignantly and Harry slaps his other cheek before murmuring, "Tut Tut, Malfoy. Watch your language. That's not how good boys behave. Now go away. Give your son my regards. I am already missing him."

This being said, Harry gets up.

"Leave him alone." Malfoy yells at him.

"Go away Malfoy or I will get you imprisoned for trespassing on my private property."

XXXX

Draco stares at the Potter in shock. This is not the man Draco had known. His green eyes are dead and vicious. His lips are not upturned in a smile. They are sneering at him. He retreats inside his home and locks the door.

After staring at the closed door for a few minutes, Draco gets up and apparates to his house.

"Scorpius." He whispers after unlocking the door and walking inside. Scorpius who is studying, sitting cross-legged on the dining table glances at him for a second and then returns to his books.

"Back early today, father?" Scorpius whispers and Draco sighs before walking towards him.

"I am quiting alcohol. I will find some job. Please don't do this- this work. I met Potter today. Please stop doing this. We will find some other way."

Scorpius looks at him with tired silver eyes before whispering, "All the bills are due. Electricity bills, water bills. I need to purchase some things for my potions assignment too. Where will the money come from? When you bring money home and are ready to bear these expenses, I will quit this work. I don't have huge demands father. I don't expect you to raise me the way grandfather raised you. But I need to study. I need some money for our basic necessities. I know that you won't quit. After a couple of days, I will find you unconscious in some club or in some dark alley. Please let me study."

Scorpius has dark circles underneath his eyes. His heart aches for his son.

"I will ground you permanently." He mutters sternly, knowing that it's of no use.

"You think that I enjoying doing this. How will you bear the expenses father. We will end up on streets. There is no other way. You don't have any job right now."

"I will find it." Draco murmurs, his eyes gazing at his son's desperate eyes.

"You can't work under anyone. I know you very well." The boy whispers and sighs, "I need to complete this chapter. It's bloody difficult. Please leave me alone. I have to leave in a few hours. I'll hand over the assignments to the professors and then - " Scorpius stops and Draco's horrified eyes gaze into Scorpius's defeated ones before his son continues, "I'll be late. Don't wait for me. I'll leave something for you in the oven. Don't order anything from outside."

Draco's heart pounds from the horror and revulsion he is feeling. What should Draco do? How should he stop Scorpius? Why doesn't he have a job?

"What should I do to help? Let me help." He whispers frantically, his voice breaking off and Scorpius looks at him with worn out and defeated eyes, "I don't know father. I really don't know. Just take care of yourself. I already have enough on my hands."

Draco closes his damp eyes and gets up before walking towards his bedroom. He needs solitude to find a solution of all this. He needs to think. This can't go on. He must stop Scorpius.

XXXX

Harry wonders if he can get a time turner from somewhere. He really needs to talk to Riddle but he wants to talk to a sane Tom Riddle not Lord Voldemort. Having found nothing resembling a journal or time turner in Riddle's manor, he walks out and sits inside his car.

He wonders where Scorpius is right now. He wishes that he can hire the young boy again. When he thinks of Scorpius, memories of last night flicker in his mind and he smiles. He really wants to see Scorpius under the effects of a lust potion.

Not knowing where the blond usually waits, he turns towards the street where he had found Scorpius yesterday. He drives slowly, his eyes on the corners and when his eyes fall on an almost naked body laid down on a corner of a street, he brings his car to a sharp halt.

The boy has blond hair and Harry recognizes him at once. He gets out of the car and walks towards the boy and his lips curl in a snarl when he notices the condition Scorpius is in. His back is covered with welts and he is wearing nothing except his briefs. His eyes are open but only a bit and some notes are thrown on his bare back.

He bends down a bit and picks Scorpius in his arms. The boy struggles a bit and then he focuses on Harry's face. Harry is so sure that Scorpius will flinch or demand to be put down. He is surprised when Scorpius just closes his eyes and falls asleep in his arms.

Harry glares at people who are staring unashamedly at them and walks towards his car. Once inside, he flicks his fingers a bit and the seat besides the driver's seat stretches towards the back and Harry places Scorpius on it.

"Ahh." The boy moans and Harry closes his eyes. He doesn't know why he is feeling so annoyed at the moment.

For the first time, Harry drives rashly. He needs to look at Scorpius's wounds and then put the boy in a healing sleep.

XXXX

Twenty minutes later find Harry on his bed besides Scorpius. Scorpius is sleeping right now and Harry has already cleaned his wounds and given him a healing potion. Scorpius is laid on his stomach and has nothing on him except Harry's shirt.

He licks his lips and lays down beside the boy. He pulls him close so that the boy's back is flush against his front. He covers the blanket around both of them. Harry is naked and his erection presses against Scorpius's hips which are still covered with his shirt.

Harry nuzzles Scorpius's neck and breathes deeply before whispering, "Scorpius wake up."

The boy mumbles something inaudible and Harry traces his fingers on Scorpius's nipples and nips the sensitive skin of his neck before murmuring, "Wake up darling."

Scorpius stirs slowly and then starts struggling. Harry turns him around to face his stunned and wide silver eyes and presses his lips to Scorpius's parted lips. He presses there erections together.

"You are so beautiful." Harry murmurs into Scorpius's mouth and Scorpius struggles some more.

"Shhhh Scorpius. Be a good boy for me now. I healed you?" Harry whispers and bites the corner of Scorpius's lips.

"No." Scorpius murmurs and tries to back off.

"I need you for the night." Harry says in a low voice and Scorpius shakes his head mutely before trying to pull away.

"I will pay you three times your usual." Harry whispers and shifts to lay upon the young boy's body.

"Why?" Scorpius whispers, his body frozen under Harry and Harry gazes into the boy's eyes before murmuring, "I missed you darling. You are magnificent."

"You are father's age. This is wrong. I- I don't- this is sick- you are sick. I know that you think of father while fucking me." The boy whispers and Harry grins at him, "I don't think of anything except you while I am inside you and I really want to be there right now. Say yes. Be my personal slut and I'll pay you. I'll pay your bills and rent and I'll pay for your studies too. Just be mine."

"But Albus-" Scorpius starts and Harry places a finger on his lips before murmuring, "Forget him Scorpius." Something akin to envy rises inside him and he continues imperiously, "Don't talk about him. Don't think about him. He was your past. Let me be your present as well as your future. Just say yes and I'll shower you with money. Forget him. You don't belong to Albus."

"But I live with father. I can't leave him." Scorpius whispers, his eyes stunned.

"I agree. You will be here three 'o' clock onwards daily. I'll pay your bills and -"

"I get it." Scorpius murmurs wearily.

As the boy nods, Harry buries his lips in his neck and removes his shirt quickly.

"I am using a spell to prepare you." Harry says and Scorpius swallows before nodding.

"So beautiful." Harry croons and spoons Scorpius until the head of his erection is resting on Scorpius's anus.

Harry closes his eyes in pleasure as he presses inside.

"So tight." He moans in pleasure. Scorpius groans softly. Scorpius is warm and beautiful and Harry doesn't know why he wants him so desperately.

"Hurts." Scorpius whimpers out when Harry continues pushing until he is completely buried inside him.

"Shhhh. So tight. So beautiful. It will be fine in a moment." Harry murmurs and showers his neck with soft kisses while Scorpius moans again. It just fuels Harry's pleasure. He thrusts continuously and sets a quick and hard pace. Scorpius's moans of pain do not stir Harry's heart. 

By the time he releases inside Scorpius, the boy's eyes are damp and red and his lips are trembling. Harry turns him around and hugs him close. He caresses his buttocks gently, almost lovingly. 

"Shhh. You have been such a good boy. Shhh." He murmurs. Scorpius's frame is trembling in his arms. Harry strokes the boy's hips and and back murmurs in his ear, "Shhhh. You were so good.", trying to sooth the boy. All the while his lips are upturned in a sated smile and his hands are stroking his buttocks.

XXXX


	5. Hurdle Removed

**_Chapter-5_ **

**_Hurdle Removed_ **

Scorpius doesn't understand his own feelings for Harry. In the past three days, he has spent so much time with him that calling him 'Mr. Potter' seems strange to him now. He doesn't know what he feels more, pity for the man or self disgust. Harry Potter is not well. People who meets this man must feel that he is a twisted, vile man but it took Scorpius only three days to sense that there is something terribly wrong with him and Scorpius wonders how this has escaped everyone's attention till now. Does he even have someone who cares because Mr. Potter has no human contact except for Scorpius. He is completely alone in this manor.

No one calls him or owls him. As far as Scorpius knows, Mr. Potter has three kids, two best friends, two godfathers and Uncle Severus. Not even once has Scorpius seen Harry talking to someone or doing anything other than thinking or sitting in his library or his room. Yesterday, Scorpius felt that he was waiting for Scorpius. This can't be healthy. How can he not have anyone to talk to?

Also, Scorpius doesn't understand why after all this time, he still hates father. Scorpius wonders if he is punishing Scorpius for something that father did. Scorpius doesn't understand what this man really wants.

At least he doesn't have to worry about the never ending expenses now. But that's not the only reason he comes back. The most annoying thing is that Scorpius wants to come back to see him. He wants to understand him. Harry is not cruel or heartless. Scorpius can't point it out but something is just very off about him and he needs to know what it is.

He has been avoiding father's eyes for the past two days. Whenever father starts saying something, Scorpius stands up and leaves the room. He doesn't want to torment father but he doesn't know what else to do.

He wonders whether it will better to just move in with Harry. But he doesn't think that he would be able to study that way and there is the risk that Albus will catch him. He doesn't want Albus to know what he does for a living. Albus is starting to become a distant memory or maybe a dream. Also, he does love father. Father had not always been like this.

A strong breeze blows around Scorpius and he shivers before coming back to present. He rings the door bell and Harry opens the door. Scorpius enters inside. He closes the door and turns to look at Harry's blank and emotionless green eyes. There is no life in them. Nothing effects Harry, Scorpius's pain or tears or anyone's pain really. In fact, Scorpius's pain delights him. What he had heard about the man was quite different though. He heard that Harry had a 'saving everyone' complex when he was in Hogwarts, that he was too kind-hearted, that he couldn't see anyone's pain. Scorpius can see no trace of that man in Harry. Sometimes Scorpius finds himself almost too desperate to know that man.

Harry's eyes are devoid of any emotion and Scorpius really wants to see some kind of emotion in them, anger, softness, kindness, love, something, anything. He knows that he mustn't care. After all, Harry is nothing except his client but then Scorpius is only human and sex with Harry is like nothing he experienced with other clients of his. It's always intense and unpredictable. He never knows what Harry is going to do next. It frightens him but it excites him too. Harry doesn't compel Scorpius to flee away. Instead, Scorpius wants to know what happened to turn Harry into this.

Why does he want to know this man? Why does it matter that Harry has no one in this huge empty manor except Scorpius and his own shadow? Why does Scorpius come back and sell himself to this man who doesn't feel anything but bitterness?

"I want to talk to you." He says.

Harry freezes and his eyes panic briefly before they turn blank again.

"No. You are not here to talk." Harry says but he doesn't move.

Scorpius takes a deep breath. If there is something that Harry is hiding, then it is obvious that he has hidden it for years now and he won't tell it to Scorpius so easily.

Very slowly, Scorpius walks closer to Harry who is very still and cautious and when he just at an arms length, he murmurs, "So will you talk to me afterwards? We have a lot of time. I came early today."

"Why are you panicking?" Scorpius asks gently. 

"I am not panicking." Harry lies, "Either you can take money or we can talk. Choose one."

Scorpius stares. The man expects him to choose the former. Scorpius's suspicions are confirmed. He is hiding something.

"We will talk then."

It's Harry's turn to stare speechlessly at him. For once, his eyes are not blank. 

"How will you pay your bills?" He asks.

Scorpius shrugs carelessly, "I'll find some other client."

"No, you will most certainly not." Harry says lowly, "Okay. We will talk afterwards." 

"Okay."

"You will not find another client. I will pay you enough." He insists.

Scorpius nods silently kneels down on his knees.

"Wait. I want to try something new today." Harry says and kneels in front of Scorpius.

Scorpius doesn't know why he is trying to understand this man. Scorpius's pain doesn't matter to him. Yet Scorpius wants to understand him. Yet Scorpius doesn't want to leave the man alone. Harry always cuddles him after they are done which leaves Scorpius astounded because Harry always acts very instinctively. When Harry is sure that Scorpius has slept, he presses gentle kisses all over Scorpius's face and caresses his back and mumbles incoherently in his ears. He always ensures that Scorpius is not starving. However, he doesn't forget to remind him that Scorpius is a male hustler and nothing more than that. One in the long line of hustlers Harry has used and discarded.

"Did you eat before coming?" The man asks and Scorpius looks into his eyes. 

"Yes." He replies and Harry presses their lips together.

"I missed you." He murmurs and Scorpius pays attention. Of course he must have missed Scorpius. He has no one else. Scorpius responds because the kiss is soft and inviting and it's sick that Scorpius wants it. Everything about this- this arrangement is twisted and warped and wrong and Scorpius can't make sense of anything any longer.

"I want you to take a lust potion tonight." The man whispers, his hand stroking Scorpius's lips and cheeks and neck. He kisses Scorpius's startled lips again and again, his lips soft and slow.

"Are you inviting someone?" Scorpius asks, suddenly terrified and Harry sneers at him, "No of course not." 

"I am not into it. I told you, didn't I? I will never invite anyone in our bed." Harry says and Scorpius stares.

'Our bed', he says. The man is always so blunt, rash. He never thinks before speaking.

"Then why-" Scorpius starts.

"Call it curiosity." Harry cuts him off and wraps his arms gently around Scorpius's middle before burying his face in Scorpius's neck, "Say yes darling."

"It's going to be fun." Harry mutters and smirks at him. Scorpius nods quietly.

XXXX

Harry has a surprise in store for Scorpius. He smiles at the boy who is knelt in front of him and accios a vial of a very strong lust potion from his study and hands it over to Scorpius. This will ensure that Scorpius doesn't leave him. 

The boy stares at the vial with disgusted eyes and Harry kisses the corner of his lips before murmuring, "Take it." Scorpius is so- so pliant and soft and handsome and Harry really really wants him in his bed, naked and squirming underneath him.

A minute later, Scorpius drinks the potion and Harry smirks when the vial falls from his fingers. Scorpius's eyes darken with unbridled lust and his hand trembles. The reaction is instantaneous. 

With desperate hands, he grabs Harry's face and starts kissing his lips almost urgently, desperately. Harry can feel Scorpius's desperation and helplessness, his mental conflict. 

"Uhhh.… please Harry -" The boy whispers, his lips on Harry's ears and his body wrapped around Harry's. Scorpius's eyes are desperate and his lips gravitate towards Harry's.

"Harry. Please." The boy whispers and Harry smirks.

"What do you want Scorpius?" Harry asks and Scorpius starts unbuttoning Harry's shirt. Trousers follow the shirt and soon Harry is naked.

"Take off your clothes." Harry commands and Scorpius fumbles with his shirt buttons with clumsy hands.

Harry flicks his fingers and just like that his clothes vanish.

Scorpius's eyes are crazed with want and he lunges on Harry, sending them on the floor with Harry under him.

Their erections rub against each other and Scorpius groans softly while kissing his chest and neck. Harry caresses his back gently. 

"You ought to see yourself. You are looking so beautiful." Harry murmurs and wraps his hands around Scorpius before apparating them to his room in his large bed.

"Please Harry. Do something. Please." Scorpius begs him and Harry strokes the boy's buttocks.

"What do you want?" Harry asks and Scorpius whispers, "Fuck me. Fuck me please."

"Ride me Scorpius."

Harry buries his face in Scorpius's neck and breathes deeply, "You smell so good. I want to come all over your face tonight."

Scorpius's nails press on Harry's shoulder. His pupils are blown and he is shaking with need as he places soft and hungry kisses all over Harry's chest and stomach, biting at some places and sucking at others.

"This is not enough." The boy moans desperately and presses his forehead on Harry's stomach before begging him, "Please fuck me. I want you so badly. Please. "

Harry smirks even as his erection twitches in response. The creak of the front door makes him realize that Albus is home. He had choosen this room deliberately. This is closer to the front door and Albus will have to pass it while walking towards his bedroom. He covers a blanket over their lower bodies quickly. Just a moment later, he witnesses the door open just a little bit. 

He presumes that Albus is beneath the invisibility cloak and mumbles, "Beg a little nicely." before spreading his legs wide, his hardness pressing on Scorpius's thighs. Scorpius's eyes almost bulge out and he pleads, "Please. Please I am begging you. Please. I- I just- I need you so much. Please."

"Ok. I want you on your back. Press your knees to your shoulders with your hands." Harry commands and waits for Albus to leave. A second later the door closes and Harry casts a non verbal revealing charm to make sure that Albus has left. 

A few thrusts and Harry comes hard inside Scorpius who follows a moment later. Albus is somewhere outside the door. Harry can feel it. Harry is not at all guilty for doing this. Scorpius belongs to him. Harry bought him and Albus has no right over him.

After about a couple of minutes, Harry gets up from Scorpius's chest and lays beside him. He flicks his fingers to remove the effect of the potion from Scorpius. He casts a cleaning charm on both of them and all the while Scorpius just stares blankly at him. Harry casts a few more spells to dress Scorpius and himself in soft pajamas. 

Harry leans forward and pulls Scorpius in his arms with a sigh and right at that moment Albus barges inside. The blonde blinks and realizes that they have company and his eyes become wide and horrified when they fall on Albus who is standing on the entryway, his face wet with tears and his eyes burning with rage and revulsion. 

"Albus- Al-" Scorpius stutters but Albus bolts out of the room, his cloak in his hands.

Scorpius struggles, wishing to follow his son but Harry flicks his fingers and locks the door before embracing him tightly.

"Forget him Scorpius. You are only mine. Forget him." Harry mumbles. Scorpius's eyes are damp. A lone tear trickles down his cheeks and Harry wipes it off before murmuring, "Don't worry. Go to sleep."

Scorpius closes his eyes. His eyebrows are furrowed. Harry strokes his hair and hums a soft tune. A few moments later, Scorpius falls asleep as is evident by his gentle snores. 

XXXX


	6. Secrets

**_ Chapter-6 _ **

_**Secrets** _

Scorpius doesn't understand why Harry did this. He awoke to an empty bed and so he decided to take a shower. After showering when he entered back inside the room, he found Harry standing by the window, his T shirt and pajamas drenched in sweat.

"Where were you?" He asks and Harry turns around.

"Jogging." Harry says blankly. There are so many other things he wants to ask. However, he doesn't think that the man is going to cooperate right now.

"You can leave now." Harry murmurs and proceeds towards the bathroom. Humiliation boils up inside him and he takes a moment to recover. He could just just leave of course but something is stopping him. He doesn't want to go. Not yet. So he settles down on the bed and waits. Albus is somewhere in this house but Scorpius is yet to get out of this room. He has no strength or courage to meet Albus. Scorpius knows that he doesn't deserve him.

Scorpius doesn't need to go back home. He had planned to go to a wizarding library to research for his pending Herbology and DADA assignment since he doesn't have any teacher to seek help. However, he wants to talk to Harry. He wants to know more about this man. Despite what Harry did just a couple of hours ago, Scorpius doesn't want to leave which is as terrifying as it is confusing. Terrifying because, Scorpius started doing this work just so that he could study and he can't prioritize anything else. Till now, he never felt the need to prioritize anything else over his education.

He wants to become something. He wants to fulfill his dreams.

"You are still here." Mr. Potter's voice brings him out of his musings.

"Yes. You agreed to talk." Scorpius says and the other man freezes. Their eyes meet and Harry's flash with something akin to fear.

A minute passes in absolute silence with Scorpius frozen on the bed and a wet haired Harry Potter standing very still in front of the mirror in just his pajamas. He is a handsome man and doesn't look even close to his age. Another minute passes and Scorpius realizes that the other man is finding a way out.

"Come here." Harry says. Scorpius breathes in deeply and exhales. He must complete the assignments. His grades depends on them. This is his final year and he is already lagging behind.

Yet, he stands up and walks towards the man. His forearms are muscled and his shoulders are broad and unblemished. Harry Potter is a beautiful man. Most of the people who talk to him believe that he has a black heart. However, Scorpius doesn't believe that. Not now, now that he has spent some time with this impossibly complicated man.

"Kneel." Harry says.

"I want to talk to you." Scorpius murmurs.

"We will talk after this." Harry replies.

"I need to-" Scorpius starts and Harry's eyebrows raise expectantly. Scorpius takes another long breath and continues, "I need to complete a couple of projects for school. I need to research. So I wanted to go to a library. It will get closed if I don't leave soon."

Green eyes look thoughtfully at him before blinking. Harry smirks and what he says next is not a surprise to Scorpius.

"It's your decision then. Either stay and do what I say and I promise I'll talk to you afterwards or go and finish your assignment. The talking will never happen then."

Scorpius thinks hard. He wonders why he doesn't want to leave. Why does he want to talk to this vile, selfish man who fed him a lust potion just to keep Albus away from him. What is the need of talking? Scorpius is giving him what he wants and is getting money in return. That should be enough. Shouldn't it? Except that it is not.

It drives him insane. His head is pounding even as he replies, "Okay. I'll do what you say."

Harry's eyes widen and his jaw falls open in shock. He closes his mouth and the opens it to say something and then closes it again. He ends up staring at Scorpius speechlessly.

Scorpius meets his stare with his forlorn eyes. He was already given extra time. How will he pass the exams. He needs to study.

"All right then. Sit on the edge of the bed."

Scorpius does as told. He backs off and sits down. Harry comes closer to him and kneels down between Scorpius's legs and slides his hands inside Scorpius's hair before grabbing a fistful of blonde locks in his hands. He pulls his face to left side and buries his face in the hollow of his neck and sniffs deeply. Scorpius feels his cheeks warm and is quite sure that his face is red. This is not something a client does. This is something a lover does and it's strange and sweet and is evoking warm and frankly annoyingly uncomfortable feelings inside Scorpius.

Scorpius takes in a shaking breath and tries to stay still. Then something very strange happens.

One momeny Harry is there, nuzzling Scorpius's neck and the next moment, he is not there. He has backed off and is staring at Scorpius with those green eyes of his. For a change they are not blank. They are bright and they are burning with something Scorpius doesn't understand. Scorpius is breathing rapidly and his heart beats have quickened. His hands are trembling.

Bloody hell. He doesn't understand what this man is doing to him. That stupid potion has worn out. And anyways, it's not just a need to be close to Harry. He needs to know Harry. He needs to make him smile, laugh and live.

Harry summons his shirt and Scorpius stares in confusion as he puts it on.

"What happened?" Scorpius asks and without giving him any chance to even speak he continues, "Am I still stinking?"

Harry shakes his head and buttons his shirt.

A moment later, he is done and he stares at Scorpius silently for a few moments before asking curtly, "What are those assignments about?"

"Herbology and DADA." Scorpius answers in a heartbeat.

"Do you have your books?" Asks Harry in a quiet voice, his eyes guarded and Scorpius nods, confused and unable to understand what this man wants.

"I'll help you with DADA and you can use my library for Herbology. I'll help you find the right books. We'll continue after you have handed over your assignments to the professors and then we'll talk." Harry mutters blankly.

Scorpius doesn't understand. He simply looks at the man, unable to figure out what this man really is. These small things lead Scorpius to the conclusion that the man standing in front of him is just a shadow of what he used to be.

"Bring your DADA textbooks and tell me what the assignment is about." He says and settles down on the bed with crossed legs.

Then something happens to Scorpius. It's sudden and weird and completely instinctive. He leans forwards and presses a butterfly kiss on the other man's cheeks. Green eyes widen in shock and he brings his fingers to touch the spot where Scorpius has just kissed him.

He leaves the room with flushed cheeks and shame in the pit of his stomach. Why is he feeling all this for a client and that too a man who is his father's age, who is Albus's father.

He doesn't know any longer whether he is being used or he is letting himself be used. He wishes he had someone to talk all this about.

Quietly, he picks up his bag and walks back inside the room, being very careful to avoid Albus's eyes. The boy is sitting quietly on the dining table with red eyes and white cheeks.

Everything is a mess.

XXXX

The rest of the evening passed quietly. They don't talk about the kiss and Harry doesn't know what to think about it. He doesn't know why he didn't want Scorpius's education to suffer. He has never felt this for a stranger before. Scorpius is Malfoy's son and Harry hates Malfoy. He must hate Scorpius too but that's obviously not the case.

Maybe it's Scorpius being his father's son and manipulating Harry. Somehow he is responsible for Harry's stupid and inexplicable actions. And that kiss. Harry was stunned when Scorpius did it. He is just as manipulative as Malfoy was. That can be the only possible reasons for Harry's change of heart. He left for Riddle's manor after having helped Scorpius. The boy is exceptionally intelligent. It's such a pity that he couldn't attend Hogwarts.

It's 11:30 when Harry comes back. He hopes that Scorpius has handed over the assignments by now. He locks the door behind him and heads towards his bedroom, ignoring Albus who is studying on the sofa. Albus has the money he needs and so do his siblings. They will talk to him if they needed something else.

Harry walks inside the bedroom and closes the door. When he finds Scorpius sitting beside the window, his shoulders shaking, he steps back, surprised. Scorpius has not noticed yet that Harry has returned. The boy is crying.

Something aches inside Harry at the sight. He doesn't love this boy but Scorpius is no more just a hustler. It's obvious because Harry can't see Scorpius crying. He can't.

"What happened?" Harry asks sharply. Scorpius's response is sudden. He freezes and wipes his eyes before turning around to look at Harry. Harry takes another step back and stares at Scorpius's face. His lips are split and bleeding from corners and his cheeks are scratched. His eyes are red and swollen as if he has been crying for a long time.

But Scorpius just went to Hogwarts. Albus won't do so, would he?

"Did Albus do this?" Harry asks.

Scorpius shakes his head silently. He is trying to keep his tears in check.

"What happened then? I thought you went to Hogwarts to give your assignments. Did you go somewhere else?" Harry asks and Scorpius shakes his head again before another sob wracks his frame.

"If you don't need me tonight, I would like to go - go home." His voice is hoarse and he is swallowing constantly.

Harry wants- no he needs to know what happened. Harry left just a couple of hours back after helping Scorpius find those books for his Herbology assignment. What could possibly have happened in such a short time and that too when Scorpius was in Hogwarts.

He takes a couple of deep breaths and tries to calm himself down. When he is sure that his temper is in check, he walks towards the trembling boy. Scorpius stays seated. Harry stands in front of him and leans against the open window.

"Tell me." Harry says, trying to keep his voice soft. Scorpius shakes his head.

"Scorpius tell me. I want to know who did this?" Harry says and that's when Scorpius moves a little and places his hands on his knees. Harry's eyes fall upon the scratches that Scorpius's right arm bears. Dread settles in the pit of Harry's stomach.

"I handed over the assignments to Professor Lupin and professor Mcgonagal and then I headed towards professor Slughorn's office. Professor McGonagal told me that he needed to talk to me about my assignment."

Harry stays quiet.

"When I entered in his room, he closed the door and told me that he would fail me if I didn't do as he said and that he knew what I did to earn money. I refused." Scorpius says and sobs again. His entire frame is shaking.

He continues a moment later, "He tried to force me and kiss me and when I struggled, he slapped me and while I was trying to escape, he tried to hold me back. His nails- these scratches- it was disgusting and humiliating. He will fail me Harry. I can't afford to fail. I don't know what to do." Scorpius finishes and tears start trickling down his eyes. Harry feels wretched and furious. He wants to kill Slughorn. But that won't do, would it. He has enough blood on his hands. He doesn't want more.

"Come on. We are going to pay him a visit." Harry says.

Scorpius shakes his head. He is terrified. Understandably so.

"Come here, Scorpius." He sighs and spreads his arms and when Scorpius slumps in his arms- that's the moment Harry realizes how lonely he was before Scorpius came in his life. He doesn't want to be alone again. He doesn't want to hurt Scorpius. He doesn't want to take Scorpius for granted. He doesn't want Scorpius to leave even though Harry doesn't love him.

"Shhhh." He mumbles, his hand carding through Scorpius's hair gently, "I will teach him a lesson. You are a brilliant boy. Noone will fail you. Let's go."

After around ten minutes, Scorpius calms down. His body stops shaking and his fingers stop quivering. His heartbeats steady.

He looks up and stares at Harry as if Harry is his own personal sun. Harry blinks in surprise and wonders if the boy knows about the way he is looking at Harry.

It's not fair on Scorpius. Harry realizes. Harry doesn't love Scorpius. He doesn't want Scorpius to leave but he is not in love with this boy. He wishes he were.

Harry apparates outside the school and walks inside. Scorpius is beside him.

He walks straight inside Slughorn's office without even bothering to knock. The man is sitting behind his desk and his eyes widen in shock and terror when Harry enters inside. One look at Harry and Scorpius and he is already on his knees, his hands folded.

"I am sorry. I will confess and bear whatever punishment you give. Just don't kill me. Hand me over to the ministry." He begs.

He is such a coward. Harry scrunches his nose in disgust.

"You will go to the aurors and tell them what you have done. Potions Master Severus will take your place. If you disobey me - you know what I am capable of Slughorn. Ensure that our paths never cross again. If you ever repeat what you did today, I will make you regret the day you took birth." Harry warns him. The man is quivering by the time Harry ends his speech.

Without another words, Harry turns around and walks out of the room. Scorpius is walking silently with him. They don't talk at all. Silently, they return to Harry's place and sleep on Harry's bed. Atleast Scorpius falls asleep. Harry spends most of the night staring at the boy who has managed to turn Harry's life upside down. Somehow, he knows that Scorpius will remind Harry of that talk they still have not had. Somehow, it doesn't frighten Harry as much as it did before. Even he wants to talk to someone about everything that happened. Dumbledore's warning stops him though. He has not even told Hermione and Ron about it. No one except Severus and Dumbledore know.

The memories that he would rather keep buried start coming to the forefront of his mind and he starts hyperventilating. He has to literally concentrate on Scorpius's steady heartbeats to come back to the present.

XXXX


	7. Hypocrite

_** Chapter-7 ** _

_** Hypocrite ** _

Come morning, once again, Scorpius wakes up completely alone in Harry's bedroom. Harry is not there. He yawns and takes a shower and tries not to think about what happened yesterday night. He is so embarrassed. He was so scared that he literally cried in front of Harry. His cheeks flush at the thought and he rubs his face in annoyance before opening the door and heading towards the dining room. He has expected Albus to have left by now so when he finds the said Albus Potter sitting across his father, Scorpius's eyebrows raise his surprise. His body is stiff with tension and his eyes are narrowed at Harry. There are dried tracks of tears on his cheeks. As much as Scorpius wants to talk to Albus, he knows that he shouldn't. Albus deserves better than Scorpius.

Harry's head is bowed on his untouched plate, his lips pinched. There is a newspaper kept besides his right hand that the man isn't reading.

Scorpius walks quietly towards the table and sits across Albus, keeping his eyes away from the boy. He doesn't sit with Harry though. There is no point of annoying the boy more than he has already done.

He starts serving for himself and the tension grows.

"What's the meaning of all this Scorpius?" Albus hisses at him a few minutes later and Scorpius doesn't look at him, not knowing what to tell the boy.

Quietly, he serves porridge for himself.

He has only taken one bite when Harry speaks in a strong voice, "Albus. I thought you are staying at Molly's for your holidays."

"I was going to but now I don't want to." Albus snaps at him in a heartbeat and Harry shifts to sit beside Scorpius who sighs.

He places his hand very gently on Scorpius's. Albus's nostrils flare and he starts breathing heavily. Finally, Scorpius looks up because he can't avoid the issue anymore.

"Look at you dad. You are a pervert, a freak." Albus yells at his own father and the spoon that is in Scorpius's hand drops on the table with a clank.

Scorpius notices that Harry's head is still bowed over his own plate. His hand trembles as it reaches for his cup of tea. Why is he quiet? Why is he not scolding Albus? Scorpius wonders quietly.

"How can you do this? I don't believe this. He is my age, your son's age and you - you hired him for - for - you are so revolting. How can you be so depraved, so immoral? You know that I like him. How could you- I can't believe it. You are sick." Albus screams and Scorpius stares at the boy in shock. How can he treat his own father like this. Harry doesn't speak. He doesn't even move but as he attempts to take a sip of his tea, the hot liquid trickles down the corner of his lips because his fingers are trembling so much.

Scorpius glares at Harry's skull, urging him to say something. But he doesn't.

"You are disgusting and I hate you. You are the worst father a person could possibly have. You have always been creepy but this is the absolute limit. How can you by such a PERVERTED FREAK." The last couple of words are shouted and finally Scorpius breaks his silence and stands up, unable to take it anymore. He can't shout at Harry, seeing that the man is unpredictable, short-tempered and not completely sane and very egoistic.

XXXX

Ever since Harry was five, all he wanted was a family. His relatives called him a freak but they were not his parents and then Dumbledore and Sirius betrayed him. But then again, Dumbledore was not his real family. Sirius never considered Harry as his son. Albus hates him. James and Lily live with Ginny and talk to him only when they need money. They are probably too scared of him to approach him otherwise.

Sometimes, Harry wishes that Albus would notice something. Scorpius has been with him for a few days and even he noticed. Freak... Albus calls him. Harry wonders if he really is a freak. Maybe, he is. Why else would he agree to create a Horcrux and then make an another one just out of anger and spite. God only knows what else Harry did. It's not like he even remembers everything that happened.

"You are sick - immoral-"

"SHUT UP ALBUS." Someone yells and belatedly Harry realizes that it's Scorpius who is standing now, his palms on the table and his eyes burning into Albus's as he leans forward.

Harry freezes, shocked at the turn of events. No one has ever stood up for him. Harry blinks a couple of times and rubs his eyes, wondering if he is imagining it.

"He is sick Scorpius. You don't know him. I-" Albus starts, his voice frantic and Scorpius cuts him again, "I have been living with him for a few days now. I can safely say that he is not sick and he is not a freak. You will not call him by that word again."

"I HATE HIM. HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE A PARENT. HE IS A BLOODY FREAK." Albus shouts and Scorpius shouts right back, "MIND YOUR LANGUAGE. HE IS YOUR FATHER."

"You think he loves you Scorpius. Just because he is letting you live here and is letting you use the library, you think he cares for you. He doesn't. He is a heartless bastard. A bloody pedophile. He preys on young boys-"

"ALBUS STOP IT."

"-And now he has found a new prey. He is using you because you are Draco Malfoy's son or perhaps Lucius's grandson. He doesn't love you. A FREAK- PERVERT- BASTARD-"

A wringing slap cuts Albus off and Harry lifts his eyes, stunned. Scorpius is not standing beside him now. He is in front of Albus, his hands clenched into fists and his eyes narrowed at Albus. To say that Albus is stunned is an understatement. The boy is shell-shocked and his palm is on his red cheek.

"He is not a freak or a creep or a pervert. He is not mad. He is a human like you." Scorpius hisses in a low voice, not that he needs to raise it. The silence is deafening and Harry is utterly, completely shocked.

"I _like_ him. He didn't hurt me. He doesn't hurt anyone. He hates violence. You don't deserve to have a father. You-"

"I HAVE SEEN WHAT HE DOES-" Albus screams and Scorpius cuts him off, loudly, "DON'T SHOUT. I CAN SHOUT AS WELL. SHOUTING DOESN'T MAKE YOU RIGHT."

"Do you even think before speaking. You called him a freak, a creep. What basis do you have to say all this. Have you lived his life? Do you know what it is to be Harry Potter. You- a bloody over-pampered, over-spoiled child of the great boy-who-lived. Everything was given to you on a silver platter. I had to sell myself to feed my father. As far as parents go, you are very lucky. You don't have to lift a finger. What do you know about him? Yes he hires male hustlers and yes it's not right. Have you ever tried to talk to him about it? The least you could do was be a son and spend some time with him."

"What do you mean by silver platt-"

"He has three kids. None of you contact him at all. I waited and waited Albus." Scorpius stops speaking. He is panting and his face is red.

"For what?" Albus asks quietly, appearing calm for once.

"For someone to call him. Someone - anyone. His friends- godfather who apparently had a crush on him. I thought maybe his old best friends will contact him. But no-one bothers with him. You are here since the past two days now and you didn't try even once to find out how he is doing. He-"

Harry watches silently as Albus cuts Scorpius off, "He knew that I was coming and so he put on a show."

"So what." Scorpius drawls furiously, "So what Albus. We have barely exchanged more than fifty sentences in the past few years and you held me more important than your own father. Your prime responsibility is towards him. He is not a bank, you see. You don't get to come and retrieve money from his pockets and then disappear in your own world. You accused him of so many things. Have you even bothered to know what is really wrong with him. Truth is not as simple as it appears Albus. He defeated the darkest and most powerful wizard of the past century. So obviously, he can't be mad or inherently evil. I know that you know that much about your father at least. If you hate him so much, then why don't you leave him alone. Go and get a job. Earn money. Feed yourself. Get married and feed your family too and then come and tell me if your father is a good father or not."

Harry stares and stares. He keeps on staring until his eyes prickle and his vision blurs.

"What do you mean by it? Of course I don't hate him." Albus voice breaks as he says this and his eyes become damp. Harry notices his hand trembling.

"When was the last time you tried to know what he does with his day. Until he met me a few days ago, he literally had no-one. Do you know how it feels to have no-one Albus?" Scorpius asks sharply.

Albus breathes heavily and averts his eyes.

"You don't because you have always had Weasleys and your uncles and aunts and professors around you. Life is not not that easy for everyone and it becomes depressing when there is no one to share that life, when no one bothers about the fact that you are alive or dead."

"It's all right Scorpius. Calm down." Harry says because Scorpius's voice is hoarse and his eyes are damp. The blonde ignores him.

"You don't know anything about life Albus. I won't say that your life is easy. You have your own struggles but as far as I know, you are one of the most privileged ones. You do have professor Longbottom as a substitute for Harry. After all he is your step father. You still have a mother, a loving step-father, two siblings and I am sure if professor Longbottom were as rich as Harry is, you won't have bothered about your father at all. He would have rotted here in this mansion. You won't have even come to give him a proper burial. Neither you nor your siblings, nor others who claimed to be his friends when they needed him to defeat Voldemort. Look at yourself before pointing fingers at him." Scorpius's voice is blank and his words are blunt.

Albus staggers back and literally might have fallen if his hand weren't on the backrest of his chair. He looks as if he is slapped again although Scorpius hasn't even lifted a finger.

"I never knew that you were so selfish and blind. Had I known, I won't have been attracted towards you." Scorpius ends his speech.

Harry brings his fingers to the corner of his eyes and realizes that they are damp. He doesn't understand why because it has been seventeen years since he cried the last time. He doesn't have enough emotions or a complete soul to cry. He had thought that he was as incapable of feeling anything except anger as Voldemort was.

Albus stammers, "He turned Dobby into his house elf. The little elf is scared of him. He-"

"Dobby is not being scared of Master Harry Potter. Dobby is a free elf and Master Harry Potter is a great wizard. You and others is not knowing anything. His sacrifices are great-" The elf appears out of nowhere and Harry looks sharply and shakes his head surreptitiously.

"But, I must-" The elf starts and Harry clears his throat before blinking and muttering, "Dobby, please leave."

Dobby leaves, his eyes morose as he disappears.

"So, I though you said that Dobby is scared of him." Scorpius mocks Albus swallows silently.

When Albus doesn't answer and just turns his face away, Scorpius leaves the dining and heads towards Harry's bedroom.

Harry gets up immediately after. He picks up Scorpius's breakfast and starts in the same direction.

"Dad." Albus abruptly murmurs and Harry looks at him. He is an exact replica of Harry though unlike Harry, his eyes are full of life.

"What did he mean when he said that something is wrong with you. Why was he calling me blind? What did Dobby mean about sacrifices?"

Harry freezes because Albus can't know. He is at Hogwarts... in presence of Dumbledore who had warned him. He can't let his son know. He must protect the secret.

"Nothing of your concern. Pay attention to your studies. Your grades are going down. I am going to meet your professors if this continues. Make something of yourself and leave this country. I am fed up of your presence. I don't want you here anymore." Harry snaps at his son. It's a blatant lie. He loves Albus. His son's green eyes study him silently. He is suspicious. As if Scorpius wasn't enough. Harry can't risk Albus. Scorpius is mostly with Harry so Harry can protect him, if necessary. But Albus is not.

Harry doesn't have his memories. He doesn't know who else was involved. What if someone other than Snape was involved? How will Harry protect Albus.

"Don't compel me to obliviate you Albus. Don't meddle in things that you don't understand. They don't concern you. Pay attention to your studies and stay away from me and my life. I will get your vault refilled only when you score well this year. Until then you will only get your pocket money. Get a degree and get out of this country. Get out of my life." Harry hisses rudely, expecting Albus to yell at him. But the boy doesn't.

"I want to talk to you dad. Scorpius is right. I won't let you get out of it so easily now. I love you. I am your son. I never hated you. I am sorry for everything." The boy says.

Harry stares speechlessly. What has Scorpius done? What if Albus tells James and Lily too.

"Stay away from all this and don't discuss this with anyone at school. You are a child and do not need to bother about these things." Harry snaps and whirls around, his stride furious as he heads towards his bedroom.

XXXX

Scorpius paces back and forth in the room. He doesn't understand why Harry tolerated all that bullshit. The moment Harry enters the room, he stops and shouts at him, "Why the bloody fuck did you let him insult you like that? Are you insane? Do you have any self-respect or not? You should have bloody stopped him."

A moment later, Scorpius realizes that he should have kept his temper in check. Harry is not completely sane and he was already very disturbed. He is also very egoistic and right now he is getting angrier by the second.

"I am sorry. My temper got away from me. I shouldn't have yelled at you." He mumbles, his hands in his pockets.

Harry glares at Scorpius, Scorpius's plate in his hands. Very cautiously, he walks towards the man and stands in front of him. Scorpius places the plate on the bed and looks into his green eyes cautiously. He will have to be patient and handle this properly.

"I said that I am sorry. Please calm down." Scorpius murmurs gently and wraps his hands very gently around his waist. When Harry doesn't push him, he places his cheeks on Harry's chest. Harry's heart beats are rapid and his body is burning.

"Calm down." He drawls softly.

"Breathe deeply." He continues and Harry complies. He breathes a couple of times and a few seconds later, Harry's arms wrap around Scorpius. Scorpius closes his eyes in relief.

XXXX

Harry breathes hard, trying to calm himself down. He doesn't want to hurt him.

Harry has never felt so helpless in his entire life. He wishes to be normal. He wishes that his soul was not damaged.

No-one has ever tried to understand him. No-one has tried to fight for him. Harry was always required to fight, to save the world and when he needed someone to stop the injustice that he had suffered behind the closed doors of Albus Dumbledore's office, no-one had helped him.

He was forbidden from telling the truth to the Weasleys but he had tried to tell them indirectly. They had ignored him. They had chosen to ignore his helpless pleas.

He was manipulated into creating a Horcrux by Dumbledore and that too by killing Pettegrew. He was forced to become a murderer. He defeated Voldemort but he had lost himself. Insane with grief and helplessness and completely alone, he vented out on Bellatrix and created another Horcrux.

No-one knew then and no-one knows now. No-one bothers to understand that Harry is alone, that he has been alone for the past seventeen years, not even his own son.

The ones who wanted to keep a relationship with him were after his fame or money.

Scorpius who is looking at him with his mesmerizing and beautiful silver eyes which are so like his father wants to heal Harry. Dumbledore had warned him that if he ever told anyone about this, he will either obliviate that person or do something else to keep that person silent.

Harry wants to tell this to Scorpius but he can't. This brave young man who is so much like his father in so many aspects wants to help Harry. Harry is so unfortunate that he can't accept the help from the only person who has bothered to see through him.

He knows that he is a monster, a freak, a madman akin to Voldemort and he must be vanquished. This world doesn't want another dark lord who is much more vicious and saner than the prior one.

He swallows and moves away from Scorpius.

"What- where are you going?" The boy murmurs and Harry knows that he must do it now. He can't let this go on. There is no way to integrate his horcruxes and heal his soul.

"Stay here." He murmurs and wipes his damp eyes. What had he ever done to deserve this. A childhood full of relatives who abused him mentally and emotionally, a youth full of manipulation and betrayal. No-one stood up for him, his vile godfather, Lupin, Snape- no-one. His lips tremble as he opens his wardrobe and takes out his clothes and throws them on the floor.

"What are you searching for?" Scorpius asks. Concern is evident in his voice.

His relatives called him a freak. The entire world called him a freak when he dared to tell them the truth about resurrection of the dark lord and now his own son calls him a freak.

It was all right before but now Scorpius is changing things by just being himself. He is a replica of his father and Harry should never have brought him home. Now- now he can't change the fact that he is feeling things that are making living this incomplete life impossible for him.

Why had his mother saved him if she just wanted to condemn him to a life full of misery.

He wants to end himself. He is searching for his gun. He doesn't want to die the magical way. It can be traced. They won't be able to trace it if Scorpius just shoots him. It will be over. Harry's misery will be over. He can't carry this burden anymore.

He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand and opens the drawers before starting to empty them.

"What are you searching for?" Scorpius yells at him. Harry doesn't answer. He doesn't. He continues searching. throwing clothes out of his wardrobe until - until he finally comes across the gun. It has stayed here... hidden, for the past seventeen years now. Many a time he had thought of killing himself but his broken and selfish soul won't let him. Now Scorpius can do it for him. Harry has already instructed Dobby to give the protected parchment in which he has detailed the location of the places where he had hidden his horcuxes to Scorpius. He had done it when he had first brought Scorpius home.

After caressing the gun almost lovingly, he turns around. Scorpius stares at him, in shock and terror. He backs off when Harry moves closer to him.

"I am not going to hurt you." Harry murmurs and Scorpius freezes. Their eyes meet, shocked silver gazing into his pained ones as Harry places the gun in Scorpius's hands. He places the mouth of the gun in front of his forehead and Scorpius's fingers on the trigger.

"Are you mad?" Scorpius snaps at him and tries to back off but Harry shakes his head before muttering, "This has to end now." There are so many things he wants to say to Scorpius. He feels a very strange urge to tell the boy that he means a lot to Harry. He doesn't know where this urge is coming from. He wants to take the boy in his arms and just embrace him for a while and this is so twisted because he doesn't even know clearly whom he wants, Scorpius or his father.

He is twisted and warped and insane and dangerous and must not be allowed to live.

"N - no." Scorpius murmurs frantically and pulls back but Harry is quick and he presses Scorpius's fingers on the trigger after closing his eyes.

The explosion occurs with a loud BOOOM. Some raised voices- screams and then he succumbs to the darkness - so much akin to the darkness that has always been in his life. Only this time, he will finally be free.

XXXX


	8. Not The end

_** Chapter-8 ** _

_** Not the end ** _

Everything happens in the blur of the motion. The second Harry presses the trigger, Albus removes the cloak and reveals himself. He shoves Scorpius off and thank-fully - thank-fully the bullet hits just Harry's forearm. Harry staggers and collapses in a heap. His arm is bleeding profusely.

Panicked, Scorpius gets up and walks towards the man. His eyes are closed.

"Scorpius." Albus says before kneeling besides Harry.

Scorpius keeps on staring at his bleeding arm. Panic slithers inside his mind slowly. Initially, his fingers start trembling followed by the sweat that gathers in his forehead. His breathe speeds up and his lips quiver as he murmurs as he tries to take Harry's name. Meanwhile Albus tries his best to stop the blood. Of course he fails. He won't have felt the need to learn even basic healing spells in his secured existence.

Scorpius can stop the blood temporarily but his brain seems to have stopped working and his eyes are frozen on the blood that is pooling besides Harry's hand.

"Scorpius, what should I do?" Albus yells frantically.

"Scorpius!" The other boy practically shouts at him. Scorpius blinks hard and finally kneels down.

"Dobby" He calls and the elf appears, his ears bobbing up and down.

"Mast-"

"Dobby, go and bring Healer Bones from St. Mungos." Scorpius murmurs while casting some spells to stop the blood. Albus's hands are wrapped around Harry's forearm. They are quite red.

"But master Harry shouldn't be taken to St. Mungos. He shouldn't." Dobby croaks.

Scorpius looks at the alarmed looking elf. The little creature is practically vibrating. Scorpius has no time to ponder over it.

"Okay then call father. Tell him that Harry shot himself." Scorpius orders and the elf vanishes in the blink of an eye.

"But your dad is not a healer, is he?" Albus asks, his voice cautious.

"No but he told me that he had to train under a healer to become a potions master. It's a prerequisite." Scorpius answers and when the blood finally stops, he sits back and regards Albus.

"He is a potions master?" Albus asks, his eyes wide in surprise and Scorpius nods before muttering, "I don't want to talk about him. I don't want to talk at all. Please stay quiet or leave me alone. I will levitate him on his bed."

Albus sighs and stands before heading towards the window. As Scorpius levitates Harry on the bed, Albus opens the window. Chilly breeze that flows inside is like balm on Scorpius's nerves. He sits down on the edge of the bed and waits for father and while he waits, he wonders why he cares so much for Harry Potter.

XXXX

Ever since Scorpius left Draco has been trying to get a job, any job but no-one is ready to hire him. He is a potions master but he doesn't have funds to finance his lab and he doesn't want to ask father or uncle Severus for help. Defeated and frustrated, he approaches the only man he can think of. He wonders if Albus Dumbledore will hire him as a potions professor. As he walks through familiar corridors of Hogwarts, a lump gathers in his throat and he blinks his damp eyes.

He grew up in Hogwarts. It was like a second home for him. He fell in love with Harry in this castle. Harry had promised that they would date again once the wretched war was done with. But Harry never came and Draco never approached the other man himself. He had never known that a day would arrive when the classrooms and corridors of Hogwarts will haunt him. He breathes shakily and pushes his hands deeper in his robe pockets before lowering his head and hurrying towards Dumbledore's office. Maybe he should have told the man before coming. He didn't have the courage to handle the rejection before even trying to talk to him though.

He takes another deep breath and starts guessing the passwords. At the fifth guess, the gargoyles move and Malfoy spends a few moments in studying the scene before him through the doors that are slightly open. Dumbledore is having a meeting with Severus and there are Weasley and Granger there as well. His eyebrows raise in surprise when he finds Lupin and Black there too. He sighs and knocks.

Everyone turns to look at him. Draco takes a step back when they turn pale simultaneously. What is going on? Draco narrows his eyes.

"Please come in Mr. Malfoy. It seems that the stars are in my favor tonight. You have arrived at the right moment." Dumbledore says gravely.

Draco walks inside and looks at the occupants cautiously. He has not met any of them ever since he left father's house.

"Please have a seat. I need to tell you something. Although it's late, maybe too late, however, you still need to know about it." The words are spoken in such a grave voice and his eyes are so forlorn that Draco's heart sinks.

"Master Draco." Dobby's arrival is sudden and his voice is so loud and shrill that Draco almost jumps in terror.

He whirls around and scowls at the elf whose ears are bobbing up and down and eyes are damp.

"Master Draco, Master Harry shot himself. Please do something. Master Scorpius is being calling you."

Draco gapes at the elf whereas others shoot up from their seats.

"Is he dead?" Draco asks, his heart in his throat. Whatever faults Harry has, he doesn't want the man to die. He still doesn't want to live in a world that doesn't have Harry Potter in it and isn't this ridiculous. Harry is hardly the proud man he had fallen in love with. He should hate the man but he doesn't.

"No, master Draco."

"Dobby, Harry-" Granger starts but the elf glares viciously at the woman who stumbles and slumps back on her chair.

"Dobby is not talking to the mudblood. Dobby is hating Master Harry Potter's deceptive friends."

"No, he is being alive but his arm is bleeding. Can master Draco come and heal master Harry." Dobby asks, his eyes glimmering with hope.

"No." Draco murmurs and settles down on the nearest chair.

"Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore murmurs politely. Draco looks at him.

"Please go and see him. There is so much that you don't know. Believe me when I say that you would regret if you don't heal Harry right now." Dumbledore says and Draco finds everyone's head bowed. Severus is, however, looking straight into Draco's eyes. Severus seems haunted. His eyes are blank and his face is pale.

"Okay." Draco sighs wearily, "I'll return after tending to the great chosen one's wounds."

He stands up and leaves silently with Dobby, unable to understand as to why Dobby called Granger and Weasley deceptive and the couple said nothing in defense.

XXXX

A punch on his face wakes Harry up. He shakes his pounding head and opens his eyes to stare into very angry eyes of one Draco Malfoy. Harry scowls at him. He is dressed in just his pajamas. There is a bandage around his forearm.

He can't even die in peace. He had already pressed the trigger. How did Scorpius manage to save him?

Another punch lands on his face and Harry glares poisonously at Malfoy before sitting up. He doesn't really feel pain. He has handled worse. All he feels is mild irritation as he wipes the blood off his nose and sniffs.

"Listen to me carefully Potter. I will kill you if you don't stay away from Scorpius. He is your son's age, for gods sake. Stop manipulating him. Stop making him care. Everyone who has ever cared for you has suffered." He hisses into Harry's face and Harry looks at him with narrowed eyes.

"How can you know that? It's not like you ever cared for me." Harry murmurs in a low voice.

Malfoy freezes, his eyes panicked all of a sudden. Abruptly, Harry feels someone enter inside his mind and fights back. He stares at Draco who is about to back off.

Grabbing his shoulders roughly, he glowers and hisses, "No-one can enter my mind. No-one. How did you manage? Why did you say that earlier?"

"You know how I managed to get inside your head. It's not like this the first time Potter. Don't try to fool me. I detest you. You have reduced me to this - this useless waste of space. It was your fault." He hisses and shoves Harry away before pulling back and standing at a bit of distance from the bed.

Harry breathes hard to keep  patience before murmuring, "What do you mean?"

"You are the bane of my existence. You asked me to stay away and not tell anyone about us. So I did. I stayed away like you wanted me to. I waited and waited but you never came. Just stay away from Scorpius and don't act as if you don't remember anything. Stop this act right now." He spits. Harry's heart starts racing.

"When did I say that? I don't remember talking to you. Why don't I remember anything Malfoy?" He asks and his eyes burn as he stares at the man.

"Stop lying. Of course you remember. I know you do." Malfoy insists. His eyes widen and his eyebrows raise in surprise.

"I am not lying. I don't remember talking to you about anything until a few days ago when you came to my place." Harry says coldly. He is angry and his patience is wearing thin, "I remember nothing except the fact that I hated you for hating me. I hated you because you wanted me to die. I only wanted your attention and you always kept on hating me even though I never hurt you."

Malfoy stares at him, his body frozen and his eyes wide in shock.

"What's wrong with you?" He asks.

"Nothing's wrong with me and I will most certainly not stay away from Scorpius. I like him. He doesn't hate me. I'll not let you dictate my life or his."

Malfoy's mouth falls open and his cheeks become redder before he drawls coldly, "What did they do to you?"

"Who did what? Don't talk in riddles Malfoy." Harry snaps impatiently and clenches his fists furiously.

"What did they do to you?" Draco murmurs with narrowed eyes.

Harry looks at him, stunned speechless. He is sure that creating horcrux can't make him exactly forget thing. What is Malfoy saying? Harry doesn't remember anything. What doesn't he remember?

"What did they do? Tell me right now. I didn't know. You asked me to stay out of it. You said that I won't be able to change anything, that you had tried and that I would be in danger from both sides of the war if I intervened. I had thought that maybe- whatever it was- it was temporary but now more than seventeen years has passed. What did they do?" He hisses at Harry who snaps at him, "I can't tell you but I am sure what they did is not why I don't remember anything."

They glower at each other for a few moments.

"You need to tell me Potter." Malfoy's voice softens, "Tell me. Scorpius is only a child. He did nothing. He doesn't even know anything."

Harry breathes deeply and swallows before drawling coldly, "Get out. Get out and take your son with you otherwise I will not leave him alone. I won't. Freak. Monster. That's what I have become. Get out of my life and stay out."

"I am not going anywhere." Says a firm and cold voice. It belongs to Scorpius and Harry's body freezes.

He sits up and stares in the direction of the voice. Draco is staring at Harry with unreadable eyes. Albus and Scorpius are standing at the entryway. Scorpius is annoyed. His lips are pinched in a straight line. Albus is looking thoughtful. He is worried. He should send all of them away. God only knows what happened to Harry's memories. He doesn't want to drag Albus and Scorpius down with him. He is not worried about Malfoy. Malfoy is a strong man and went through a war. He can take care of himself. He doesn't want Dumbledore and whosoever was involved in whatever happened to Harry's memories to hurt Albus and Scorpius too.

Harry takes a long breath, decides quickly and turns to look at Malfoy again, "Do me a favor Malfoy. Take both of them with you. Albus has enough money to feed both of you. He seems to be taken with your son and keeps on interfering in my life. So take them with you. Albus will take you to one of my family manors and you will not need to sell your son to feed yourself." He murmurs coldly, his eyes glued on Malfoy all the while whose rage rises and cheeks redden. He keeps his conflicted feelings for Scorpius and his father at bay and averts his eyes after saying his piece.

XXXX


	9. Is there any Hope?

_**Chapter-9** _

_**Is there any Hope?** _

"Neither am I dad." Harry wants to bang his face on the wall when his middle son's adamant voice reaches his ears. He knows this tone and he knows its meaning as well. He knows because a long time back, it belonged to him when he was young, naive and reckless. Albus is not reckless though. The kid doesn't know anything. Harry turns towards his son's narrowed, stubborn green eyes and realizes that in the span of two minutes, both Scorpius and Albus have entered the room.

Malfoy is settled on the edge of the nearest chair, his head on his hands. It's obvious that he is frustrated. One thing is clear to Harry now though. Malfoy doesn't know anything about the horcruxes. Also, Harry doesn't remember anything connected to Malfoy. How is this even possible?

By the time, Albus murmurs, "Dad." Harry realizes that several seconds have passed. Scorpius's blank eyes are gazing at him. The boy's face is unreadable. A few more seconds pass with all of them frozen and silent.

Harry is the one who breaks the tense stillness, "Take them away Malfoy."

"I am not going away dad." Albus repeats and this time Harry knows that there is no arguing with the boy, not when his eyes are steeled and his fists are clenched. Harry feels warmth in his chest. This means that Albus cares. At least someone cares. He has lived almost two decades thinking that there is no one who cares whether he is alive or dead.

"Scorpius, come on. We are leaving. You have done your part by reuniting the father and son. He doesn't require you any more." Malfoy who is now on his feet declares mockingly and Scorpius only raises a delicate eyebrow at his father. Malfoy mirrors his expression. The only difference between the two is that Scorpius's hands are in his pockets whereas Malfoy's are crossed as he tries to intimidate his son by towering over him.

It's slightly amusing and very familiar as Harry witnesses the battle of wills between the two. Unlike his own father, Malfoy is the one who accepts defeat and deflates before grimacing, "Scorpius we- that is, Potter and I have a history which he doesn't remember and I ain't allowed to tell anyone. He doesn't and will never fall in love with you. Come with me. I'll request Dumbledore for job as a potions professor at Hogwarts."

"I-" Scorpius starts but an abrupt knock on his door and the subsequent opening of the said door interrupts him. Harry sighs and rubs his forehead before summoning his shirt. As if it was already not enough, James and Lily had to join the party as well.

Malfoy falls silent and looks at his son who still refuses to budge.

Where on one hand James glares at Scorpius and subsequently Malfoy who only settles back down on his chair, his lips twisted in a annoyed sneer, Lily only blinks lazily in their direction. From what Harry knows, James is a bully which is not surprising. Harry had no part in the upbringing of James and Lily. Ginny corrupted their minds so much that they stayed away from Harry.

Albus was another story though. He didn't accept Ginny's bitter words and lies and refused to leave Harry alone. He visits Harry and although they don't talk to each other, Albus always comes home for his holidays. He knows that Harry keeps tabs on him. Dobby gave him reports about Albus's behavior in school. He loves Albus the most amongst all his children.

"What is this ponce doing here?" James hisses and Harry takes a long breath. Although, he doesn't approve of James or his language or his lifestyle, it's not his place to improve him. Yet, Harry refuses to tolerate this kind of behavior in his own house.

"Do you even know what he does for a living? Oh I almost forgot. My bad. He must be here to provide his services to you, eh?" Lily drawls arrogantly. Today she is dressed in a short skirt and a simple tank top. Harry looks coldly at his daughter. She doesn't even move, only resorting to raise her eyebrows haughtily.

"Don't call him that and don't talk like this with dad." Snarls Albus. Harry makes a face when his head starts pounding. Honestly, why did he ever choose Scorpius that night. Ever since the boy has entered Harry's life, it's become so difficult. The memories, the guilt, the loneliness- everything seems to attack him at once.

"Of course, you would say that little brother-"

"I am not little and I am most certainly not your brother. We are related by blood but I refuse to call a bully like you my brother." Albus replies in a loud voice. His knuckles are almost white and his cheeks are red.

"You knew we were coming over today. Why did you invite these scumbags?" Lily mutters lazily. Unlike James and Albus, Lily is a patient, sharp and a very cruel girl. She has no morals and no respect for those she happens to dislike. Again, it's not Harry's place to scold her but he will not tolerate all this in his house.

"We are already unfortunate enough to be forced to visit you every month just to get the papers signed so that we can retrieve the money. Why do you have to make it even more unpleasant for us?" James snaps furiously. Scorpius has retreated towards the only window the room has. He is leant against the window with his ankles locked and his hands inside his pockets. Albus is glaring at his siblings.

"Yes, Potter, why do you even insist on this useless meeting? We don't want to meet you. Why don't you just go and die and have mercy on us. We are sick of coming here every month." Lily murmurs while simultaneously regarding her nails.

"She is right. We mean, we know that you are a useless, pathetic man with nothing to do with your life but we are very busy. Do us a favor and just die. We will inherit the Potter vaults and won't have to see your pathetic face month after month." James mocks.

Harry looks silently at them. He is wrong on a number of counts. James and Lily won't inherit his family vaults. They will get a particular amount every year but that will be it. Albus will inherit everything Harry has. It's not that Harry doesn't love James and Lily. He does. They are his kids. James is his eldest child. It's just that they don't deserve anything from Harry. They are over pampered, spoiled and rude and on the top of it manner-less bullies too. Albus might despise him right now but he is only human and he likes Scorpius so that's natural. Also, it might seem as if Harry has nothing to do. But he is the owner of the 'Jilly Sons' the only multi-billion galleon broom manufacturing company that he had started after graduating. Granted, he has employees to take care of it and has to visit the office only twice or thrice a month but he still supervises them from his house. However, James doesn't know about it. Neither does Lily or Al-

"You are wrong. He does-" Harry clears his throat sharply and regards Albus who looks at Harry with cheeks that have turned slightly red. He had named the organization as Jilly sons so that no-one can associate it with him. Every new line of brooms has the name 'Jilly' associated with it.

That Albus knows about his being its owner is a shock. He told no-one about it. The accounts are maintained by Pansy and sales are handled by Blaise. No-one except them know that he is Jilly and Sons. There are many other familiar names and faces but none of them know that Harry is their boss.

So the question arises that how Albus knows and if he does, then why didn't he ever talk to Harry about it. Why didn't he ever demand more money than he was given if he knew that Harry was filthy rich. Albus was never fussy or demanding.

"We don't have time Potter." James sneers and Harry sighs.

"Bring the papers." He murmurs. There is infact a reason behind calling them over to get these papers signed. They are given certain sum of money from his vault every month but only if they get the papers signed personally by him. No-one except him knows about the reason.

"They are a disgrace to your name dad. Why do you still provide for them?" Albus mutters hotly. Harry doesn't answer.

"He does it because of the court orders." Lily answers Albus with a nasty smirk on her face. James mirrors her expression. They are still so naive. They believe every word Ginny tells them.

"What do the court orders say?" Scorpius's question is sudden and startling and his eyes are sharp as if they can see through him. A glance at Malfoy tells him that Malfoy already knows everything. His eyes are cold as they gaze at James and Lily. Harry is afraid this is not going to end well.

Harry stays silent and searches for a pen and for that he moves his forearm. It hurts and he moans. Belatedly he realizes that instead of his heart, his arm was shot and that's why he is still alive.

"Hurry up. We need to leave." James mutters and Harry looks at his kids, wondering why did Scorpius not let him die.

"He is hurt. Have patience." Albus suddenly hisses as his fists clench and unclench. His patience seems to have worn out, "The least you could do is be patient."

"Albus, I am fine. It's okay. Stay silent." Harry says and looks around for the pen.

"What did the court orders say, Harry." Scorpius asks again and the answer is given by Malfoy who leans back and locks his legs by placing his left leg ankle on his right knee. He seems terribly stubborn and arrogant right now.

"As per wizarding law, the father needs to provide for his children until they graduates from Hogwarts. Did you know that Mr. and Ms. Potter?" Malfoy says and both James and Lily gape at Harry who is finally able to locate a pen. He signs quickly and says, "The next time you are here, mind your language otherwise you won't get anything from me."

His eyes meet James's and then Lily's. They think that they can intimidate Harry by talking rudely. They couldn't be further from the truth though.

"Never insult my guests. When you are in this house, you will keep your mouth in check, no matter whether you are here for five minutes or five hours." He continues.

"Why do we have to come here? Why can't you just sign the papers and owl them to Gringotts." Lily asks and before Harry can ask them to leave, Malfoy butts in, "He is paranoid. The Dursleys never spent a penny on him. They spent all the money that his parents had saved for him on their own son. Potter wore his cousin's hand-me-downs and lived in a cupboard. He doesn't trust your mother or your step father not to do the same with you. That is why he makes you come here personally so that he knows that  _you_   _are getting the money_  he is sending."

The silence following Malfoy's answer is deafening. Malfoy turns white when his eyes turn towards Harry's stunned ones. Harry doesn't remember telling this to anyone, leave alone Draco Malfoy. How does he know so much about Harry? Albus is staring at Harry with wide, stunned and innocent eyes. They are so much like his own that Harry looks away. He loves Albus so much. His eyes travel to James and Lily who are utterly gobsmacked and then ends on Scorpius who is as furious as his father is.

"Why did you tell them?" Harry asks Malfoy in an irritated tone.

Malfoy opens his mouth and the closes it before opening it again and speaking lowly, "It slipped out of my mouth. I know you asked me not to tell anyone. It just slipped."

"But mom said-" Lily starts. Harry throws the rolled papers in James's direction who is an excellent seeker and so catches the bundle and then Harry murmurs coldly, "You have my signatures. Please leave. Even if I don't do anything with my day, I am still entitled to have peace in my own house and you have no right to decide as to whom I can invite over and whom I can't."

"Please listen to us-" James starts and although Harry is surprised that James is even aware of the word 'please', he hisses, "Get out!" so sharply that both James and his sister flinch before whirling around and leaving the room.

Albus tries to tiptoe out as well before Harry calls him, "I want to talk to you, my dear son. You are not going anywhere before you have answered my questions."

Green eyes close and he bites his lips nervously before muttering, "Okay. I'll be in the kitchen. I am going to cook something for us."

"Scorpius, come on. We are leaving now. We don't need to concern ourselves with Potter and his broken family. I have had enough of drama for a day. We will see Dumbledore and I think he will give that position to me. Severus never liked teaching anyways." Malfoy declares and gets up.

"You can leave. I'm not coming with you." Scorpius replies and his eyes travel from Harry to his father.

"Scorpius." Malfoy hisses, "You know nothing-"

"I do not want to know anything."

"You don't need to continue doing this work." Malfoy mutters coolly to which Scorpius replies quietly, "I'll not."

"Malfoy, just leave. I-." Harry butts in and Malfoy glares at him before cutting off, "Will you just tell me what happened?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Harry replies after giving him a one-shouldered shrug.

"I hate you so much Potter. I had never imagined that -" Malfoy sighs and continues in a frustrated voice, "how- how can you sink so low. He is Albus's age and naive. Dumbledore was about to confess when Dobby arrived and asked me to come with him to heal the great boy-who-lived because apparently, you can't have any healer from Mungos look over you. I will get it out of him and then I will come back and Scorpius will come willingly with me once I tell him everything." Malfoy sneers at Harry.

Harry stays quiet but his thoughts start spinning.

_What is Malfoy saying?_

Dumbledore asked Harry to keep it a secret. He literally threatened Harry. It was the only reason Harry stayed away from everyone he once knew. He never asked for help and returned all their letters unanswered. He hasn't seen Dumbledore or any of them including Snape, Hermione and Ron ever since Voldemort fell and Harry created his second horcrux by killing Bellatrix although Ron and Hermione know nothing about it.

Why would he tell everything to Malfoy, of all people and that too after seventeen years.

A moment later, Malfoy leaves and slams the door behind him, leaving a tense silence in his wake.

Harry waits for a few moments. He doesn't look at Scorpius. Even when Scorpius starts walking, Harry keeps his eyes lowered on his lap.

But when, Scorpius throws bundle of notes in front of Harry, he is forced to look at the boy. Enraged silver eyes meet his gaze.

"You can count it. I am returning all of your money." Scorpius sneers. Harry stays quiet and wonders where this money came from.

"Where did you get it from?" He asks.

"I quit Hogwarts. I won't sit in exams." Scorpius replies blankly.

Harry stares and his blood boils.

"Why did you quit?" He asks slowly.

"That's none of your business. Goodbye." Scorpius mutters blankly and swirls around.

"You told Malfoy that you won't leave." Harry insists. He doesn't know what Scorpius thinking about and he doesn't want the boy to hurt himself. 

"I am not going home." Scorpius replies and opens the door. 

Fate is for once on Harry's side because just at that moment Albus comes back with tea and some pasta for Harry. 

"Let Albus accompany you." Harry murmurs calmly. He doesn't want to provoke Scorpius, not when he is enraged. He could stop him but if the boy is anything like his father, staying would only serve to increase his anger. 

"I don't need a nanny. Don't worry Mr. Potter. I won't get lost, not so soon." Scorpius says and his voice is really loud and sharp.

He turns around, still on the entryway and glares at Harry, "You won't get rid of me so fast. I want to know what happened. I'll do what I want, no matter what you or father think of it. So I'll come back and get to the bottom of this and don't think that I am doing a favor on you because I ain't. I will do it for myself. I can't change what I feel for you and you will never be able to return my feelings but it's okay. Unlike you, I am not selfish."

Having said this, he storms out of the room, his shoulder hitting Albus's as he leaves. Albus's sad eyes never leave Harry's and just a moment later, he composes himself back and comes inside. he closes the door with his foot and smiles at Harry. 

"I am sorry." The words escape Harry's mouth before Harry even knows. He likes thinking that he is a human being after all. He is glad that unlike Voldemort, he is still sane and can feel things. Maybe there is a chance to merge his horcruxes after all. Maybe he can feel remorse for killing Peter and Bellatrix because that is the only way.  

"It's not your fault." Albus replies before continuing, "I cooked some pasta. Also, I know about Jilly & Sons because I design and manufacture the line of brooms for the kids in the age group six to eight. You signed on the contract. I didn't tell anyone though."

Harry starts eating and Albus simply continues talking, "You could employ Scorpius too. He is good with brooms......"

Before today Harry hadn't known that Albus was so talkative or such a great cook or so creative and ambitious. He doesn't realize when he falls asleep or when Albus covers a blanket over him. He feels someone kiss his temple and the lights go off and then he loses himself to the much needed sleep again. It's nice to know that someone cares for him. 

XXXX


	10. The Revelation

**_Chapter-10_ **

**_The Revelation_ **

The first thing Scorpius does after exiting Harry's room is to summon Albus's invisibility cloak. Father is going to meet headmaster Dumbledore who is probably the one who started all this and the only one who will answer Scorpius's questions. He walks out of the house apparates quickly in front of the castle.

XXXX

It was hard but Albus cast the spell quietly enough that dad couldn't hear and practically ran towards his room. His invisibility cloak was missing which meant that Scorpius had taken it. He casts dillusionment charm on himself and flees out of the house. He can help dad only if he knows what really happened and this might be his only chance. Once outside, he apparates in front of the castle.

XXXX

"Mom lied to us." Lily mutters bluntly. They are presently hidden behind a tree. Malfoy, his father and Albus just apparated right in front of them. James hid outside the room and heard the last few words senior Malfoy told Mr. Potter. Somehow, James can't bring himself to call him by just his surname again.

"No-one was honest really. I think uncle Ron and aunt Hermione know everything and so does mom. Maybe even Neville does. They lied to us." James says. ever since Draco Malfoy told them about Mr. Potter's reason for calling them personally, Lily and he haven't been able to take it out of his mind.

"What if -" Lily starts and it's strange to see her so scared for the first time, "James, what if Albus was right and we we always wrong. What if everything mom said was a lie."

Their eyes meet and James breathes. Something - something is not right. As far as James knows, Mr. Potter, uncle Ron and aunt Hermione were always joined at the hip when they were in Hogwarts. Something must have happened to tear them apart in such a way that Mr. Potter never contacted his best friends and the said couple also did not contact Mr. Potter.

"We will simply have to try to apologise." James answers honestly.

Lily stares at him before murmuring, "Nothing we say can make up for how we have insulted him."

Her words make James close his eyes. Albus is a year younger to him. How can he be smarter than James.

"We even insulted him for being homosexual James even though we know that Albus likes Malfoy. He doesn't have to provide for you but he still does. Maybe he does it because you are not earning yet. He never let us know. Mom never told us that he didn't have to do it. He was doing it because he wanted to. I always thought that he was forced by the court." Lily exclaims and James opens his eyes before taking a deep breath.

"We should follow Albus. This might be our only chance to know the truth." James says and Lily nods, his back stiff in tension and her eyebrows furrowed worriedly.

They disillusion themselves and apparate.

XXXX

Draco storms towards Dumbledore's office. What has he done to Harry? Draco never knew that Dumbledore even knew about their relationship. He always believed that only Weasley and Granger knew. However, when Dumbledore literally asked him to go and heal Harry, Draco realized that Dumbledore knew much more than he let on.

He snarls the password and the gargoyles shift. The door opens and he finds Dumbledore standing behind his desk.

Black is settled on a chair, his head in his hands and Severus is staring outside the window. Weasley and Granger are also there. So is Lupin.

"Hello, Draco. We were waiting for you." Dumbledore murmurs. Draco walks inside and crosses his arms before saying coldly, "What really happened back then? Potter told me that we needed to break up for the time being because it wasn't safe for me and that we will get back together after the battle. He never came and he stopped acknowledging my presence at all."

Everyone looks silently at him. Draco looks at Weasley. He was supposed to be Potter's closest friend, the only man Draco trusted with Potter.

The said red head is looking at Draco with a white face and blood shot eyes.

"I trusted you with him. I agreed to stay away because you said that you will take care of him. You said that you won't let anyone manipulate him into something he didn't want. He was too naive, too kind hearted and trusting. What did you do? He is only a shadow of his former self. He is not even alive. Inside he is already dead. He doesn't eat well. He doesn't smile. His eyes are haunted and his face is too white. No-one meets him. His own kids hate him. I left him alone because I thought he was happy." Draco finishes when he finds Weasley blinking his eyes rapidly.

Beside him Granger was already in tears which was very uncharacteristic of her.

"Say something Weasley. I trusted only you. You promised me." Draco presses, his heart threatening to burst out of his throat.

"It was my fault Draco." Comes a gentle voice. It belongs to Dumbledore. Draco's face snaps towards the man.

"Please follow me. I want to show something to you." The man continues.

Severus who was silent till now speaks for the first time, "Why should I come?"

"So that he knows that you were not at fault." Dumbledore replies.

"I don't want to come." Black murmurs.

Lupin replies in place of Dumbledore, "You will go because you sinned Sirius. What you did was- I am ashamed to say that I was  _your_  best friend."

So a moment later, Draco follows Dumbledore. Weasley and Granger are walking on his either sides. They are silent. Weasley is staring ahead with red eyes, his face dry. However, Granger is crying. Tears are sliding down her face as she looks ahead.

"Ron-"

"Do not talk to me Hermione." Weasley snaps at her and they fall quiet again. Draco doesn't know where they are going. But then Dumbledore heads towards the dungeons. Draco shivers wondering where they are going. Dumbledore stops in front of the portrait of Lord Mason who opens the door after Dumbledore mutters the password. Draco never knew that there was a secret door over here. His dorms were just across this door.

Quietly they walk inside. It's dark and on their either sides, there are empty cells. A lamp is lit in front of each cell. Draco stares. He never knew that the castle had secret cells. They keep on walking.

"Why are we here Dumbledore?" Draco asks but the man doesn't reply until they reach the end. Dumbledore flicks his fingers and opens the door of a cell.

"Please come inside." He says. Draco enters along with others. When Draco enters, he stares at the walls and when he stares at the walls, dread settles in the pit of his stomach. The cell is quite large and fetters of iron are connected to the wall. It seems that they were used to chain the prisoner's ankles so that he couldn't escape.

Draco's heart beats quicken when his eyes fall upon the walls besides the fetters. There are a few rocks on the floor. It seems that no one has touched anything in this cell for some years. Dust has gathered on the walls and there is a pungent smell too. The floor is very dirty.

Draco kneels down on his knees because it seems that something is scratched on the walls. There are some rocks on the floor beside the fetters.

Draco rubs the walls gently and removes the dust and stares. His name is scratched upon the walls, Not only that, it seems that someone was talking to him by writing on the walls.

'I miss you Draco' and 'I love you Draco' is written several times.

And then 'I shouldn't have broken up with you.'

Draco's knees feel week and he staggers before falling on the floor.

On one hand, Draco can never forgive Potter was hiring Scorpius instead of helping him and on the other hand, Draco's heart aches for the man. It's obvious that he was imprisoned for a long time over here.

He gets up and removes some more dust.

'There are spiders in this cell Draco. I am afraid of spiders.'

'They don't give me anything to eat. I am starving. I want to eat your hand-made cookies.'

'Dumbledore tried to imperio me into creating 'it'.'

'Sometimes I feel so hungry that I feel like eating my own hand.'

'They starve me just so that I agree to do what they want.'

'Why don't you listen to me? You always did. I allowed you in my mind.'

'Where are you Draco?'

'I love you Draco.'

Sentences and sentences are scratched on the walls and Draco backs off until his back hits the bars of the cell. An overwhelming sense of despair washes over him, making it difficult for him to breathe. He parts his lips and breathes deeply.

"I know you will never forgive us my dear boy and we don't have heart to ask that of you." Dumbledore says. Draco watches him and tries to force himself to concentrate on what he is saying. His mind is whirling as he reads the words. Why was Potter kept here and what is 'it'? What was he being forced to create?

"But he attended the classes." Draco whispers, incapable of saying anything else.

"It wasn't Harry." Weasley snarls, his gaze burning into Dumbledore's.

"Let me start from the beginning. What we want is for you to help us heal Harry. We can't change the past and we know that we don't deserve forgiveness for what we did." Dumbledore says. Draco looks at him.

"Tom was getting powerful by the day and I was afraid that Harry would die at his hands and we will lose the war. I couldn't find any other solution. I-"

Draco will never forget this moment. This is the first time he has ever seen Albus Dumbledore lose his nerve.

"I asked him to create a horcrux. Tom had seven. I though we would somehow merge it after the battle."

Draco's brain shuts down when the words escape Dumbledore's mouth. He didn't know that Voldemort had seven horcruxes and that Dumbledore wanted Potter to create his own was horrifying.

"He refused." Dumbledore says, "So I- I-"

Dumbledore closes his mouth and falls silent. His face has turned white.

"He imprisoned him over here and he wanted someone else to polyjuice into Harry but that was afterwards Malfoy." Weasley snarls, "He asked me to convince you and he asked Hermione to convince Harry. I did not know what he had planned for Harry but Hermione did. She never told me. They threw Harry here in front of me and I couldn't do anything."

"You could have told me." Draco yells at him. His eyes are damp and his throat is heavy.

"He threatened me. He said that he would get you, Fred and George killed. They were careless and their experiments resulted in explosions. I couldn't do anything. Sirius volunteered to polyjuice as Harry. Sirius wanted - wanted Harry - he still does- Malfoy- he- he- I couldn't do anything. I had to watch everything quietly. I never forgave myself."

Draco can't believe his ears. He whirls towards Severus who is too quiet. His suspiciously wet eyes are steeled and his face is as unreadable and blank as ever.

"Where were you when all this was happening?"

"I threatened him. I told him that I would get him imprisoned if he spoke even a single word. He was afraid about what would happen to Harry if he were not here. He didn't trust me and rightfully so." Dumbledore speaks in Severus's stead who stalks out of the prison.

"And as if this wasn't enough Malfoy, he repressed Harry's memories when he continued to refuse to create a horcrux. He repressed all his memories connected to you. Harry doesn't remember anything. His happiest memories were of you and he took all of them. Enraged, broken and defeated, Harry created another horcrux when he murdered Bellatrix at the end of the battle. We wanted to help Harry but Harry refused to talk to us. He returned our letters unopened and didn't give us any opportunity to tell him. I couldn't find you. Your son only ever came for exams and he was a quiet kid who didn't talk to anyone. I didn't want to make him suspicious. He was already very disturbed. You didn't use enough magic to enable me to track you. Ginny lied to James and Lily about Harry. She said that Harry cheated upon her and that too when she always knew that Harry was gay. She said that Harry loved only Albus and that too when Harry loved all of kids equally. She tricked the courts into letting James and Lily stay with her. She wanted Harry's money. Of course Harry was sharp and paranoid and only let his children take the money. She could never misuse it."

Weasley's voice is hoarse and his chest is heaving by the end. His eyes are wet with unshed tears.

"Dumbledore made me watch while he repressed every bit of memory Harry made with you. He turned Harry into a bitter, hateful and depressed man who only wanted to finish the war and then himself. The horcruxes were just an icing on the top. He killed Bellatrix and Peter to create them. He couldn't even die because he will never be able to make himself feel guilty for their murders which is the only way to merge horcruxes." Weasley says and Draco turns to look at Black.

"You did this to your own godson." Draco hisses at the man.

"He loved Harry's father." Granger butts in, her voice trembling.

Black doesn't answer him. He doesn't even blink an eye. He doesn't apologize.

Draco can only stare at the man before murmuring, "You are not even a little bit apologetic."

Something changes in Black at this and he says, "Yes. I am sorry that I didn't protect him." That Black doesn't say that he is sorry for betraying Harry's trust doesn't escape Draco's attention. 

"I want you and Severus to come to visit Harry. I will take you. He needs to be around people." Draco says and although his heart is burning inside his chest, still there is a part of him that just wants to take his son away from Potter and walk away from this mess. He wants to murder Dumbledore. He does despise Potter. It's only natural. Scorpius likes Potter so much that he quarreled with Draco over it and quit Hogwarts to return the money Potter paid him.

However, he knows that he does need to sew Potter's horcruxes if he wants everything to become normal. 

"Okay." Black says.

"Malfoy, you are making a mistake. Sirius has not changed." Weasley says.

Draco replies, "What choice do I have? I will call both of you as well. It's probable that I have to tell Harry about everything."

"Draco my dear boy-" Dumbledore starts and Draco points his wand towards the man before snarling, "I will kill you. Do not talk to me."

This being said, Draco storms out of the castle and walks towards Severus's quarters.

XXXX


End file.
